These are historical figures credited with founding religions or religious philosophies, or who codified older known religious traditions. The list includes those who have founded a specific major denomination within a larger religion.

Legendary/semi-historical Traditional founder(s) Historical founder(s) Life of historical founder Religious tradition foundedComparative ReligionHaykArmenian peopleAlive during 2492 BCArmenian paganism, later incorporated into Armenian folklore Paganism Abraham (covenant with God)Moses (religious law) YahwistsThe religion of the Israelites of Iron Age I was based on a cult of ancestors and worship of family gods, the "gods of the fathers". With the emergence of the monarchy at the beginning of Iron Age II the kings promoted their family god, YHWH (Yahweh), as the god of the kingdom, but beyond the royal court, religion continued to be both polytheistic and family-centered. As such, this founding group is referred to as "Yahwists". c. 13thAlbertz 1994, p. 61.Grabbe 2008, pp. 225–6. to 8th century BCIsrael emerges into the historical record in the last decades of the 13th century BCE, at the very end of the Late Bronze Age, as the Canaanite city-state system was ending. In the words of archaeologist William Dever, "most of those who came to call themselves Israelites … were or had been indigenous Canaanites". The worship of YHWH (Yahweh) alone began at the earliest with Elijah in the 9th century BCE, but more likely with the prophet Hosea in the 8th; even then it remained the concern of a small party before gaining ascendancy in the exilic and early post-exilic period. Judaism and Samaritanism Abrahamic religions Laozi Zhuang Zhou 369 BC – 286 BC Taoism East Asian religions, Chinese Religion DidoPhoenicians Alive during 814 BCPunic religionCanaanite religion AeneasRomulusNuma Pompilius Ancient Latins c. 8th to 7th century BC Roman ReligionPaganism, Interpretatio graeca, Roman Mythology Simon MagusN/AKnowledge of Gnosticism's historical origins is limited (Attridge, et al. "Gnostics and Other Heretics." PBS). Simon Magus was claimed by the Church Fathers to have founded the movement. His traditional role in the foundation of Gnosticism is featured in Acts of the Apostles.Unknown; late BC to early ADGnosticism, more specifically the Simonians Abrahamic religions, Christianity

Ancient (before 500 AD)

Founder name Life of founder Religious tradition foundedComparative Religion Akhenaten c. 1353 BC – 1336 BC Atenism Monotheism Zoroaster c. 1000 BCMelton 2003, p. 191. Zoroastrianism Iranian religions Parshvanatha 877 BC – 777 BC p. 115 The penultimate (23rd) Tirthankara in Jainism Indian religions Nebuchadnezzar II c. 634 BC – 562 BC built the Etemenanki, established Marduk as the patron deity of Babylon Paganism,Ancient Mesopotamian religion, Babylonian Religion Ajita Kesakambali 6th century BCJohn M. Koller (1977), Skepticism in Early Indian Thought, Philosophy East and West, 27(2): 155-164Dale Riepe (1996), Naturalistic Tradition in Indian Thought, Motilal Banarsidass, , pages 53-58 Charvaka Indian religions, Hinduism, Mahavira 599 BC – 527 BC"Mahavira." Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2006. Answers.com 28 Nov. 2009. http://www.answers.com/topic/mahavira The final (24th) tirthankara in Jainism Indian religions, Jainism Gautama Buddha 563 BC – 483 BC Buddhism Indian religions Confucius 551 BC – 479 BC. Confucianism East Asian religions, Chinese Religion Pythagoras fl. 520 BC Pythagoreanism Ancient Greek philosophy Mozi 470 BC – 390 BC Mohism East Asian religions, Chinese Religion Zamolxis 5th century BC Zamolxism possibly Monotheistic? Makkhali Gosala 5th century BCJames Lochtefeld, "Ajivika", The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 1: A–M, Rosen Publishing. , page 22 Ājīvika Indian religions, Hinduism Ezra fl. 459 BCHistoricity disputed but widely considered plausible. Gosta W. Ahlstrom argues the inconsistencies of the biblical tradition are insufficient to say that Ezra, with his central position as the 'father of Judaism' in the Jewish tradition, has been a later literary invention. (The History of Ancient Palestine, Fortress Press, p.888) Second Temple JudaismBrueggemann 2002, pp. 75, 144. Abrahamic religions Epicurus fl. 307 BC Epicureanism Ancient Greek philosophy Zeno of Citium 333 BC – 264 BC Stoicism Ancient Greek philosophy Pharnavaz I of Iberia 326 BC – 234 BC Armazi Monotheism Valmiki c. 3rd century BC Valmikism Indian religions, Hinduism Patanjali 2nd century BC Rāja yoga sect of Hinduism Indian religions, HinduismAugustus63 BC - 14 ADRoman imperial cultPaganism, Imperial cultJohn the Baptist c. 6 BC – c. AD 30Mandeaism Abrahamic religions, Gnosticism Jesus (and the Twelve Apostles) c. 4 BC – c. 30/33 AD Christianity Abrahamic religions Paul the Apostle c. 33 AD Pauline Christianity Abrahamic religions, Christianity James the Just c. 33 AD Jewish Christianity Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity Lakulisha 1st century AD Pashupata Shaivism sect of Hinduism Indian religions, Hinduism Judah the Prince 2nd century AD Rabbinic Judaism Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Montanus 2nd century AD Montanism Abrahamic religions, Christianity Marcion of Sinope 110–160 Marcionism Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Gnosticism Elkesai 170–230 Elkesaism Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Gnosticism Nagarjuna 150–250 Madhyamaka Indian religions, Buddhism Plotinus 205–270 Neoplatonism Monotheism, Ancient Greek philosophy Mani 216–274 Manichaeism Religious syncretism, Gnosticism AriusThe teaching of the traditional "founding father" of a "heresy" is may well have differed greatly from the contents of the heresy as generally understood. For references see following notes. 250–336 ArianismAcc. to Rowan Williams, 'Arianism' was essentially a polemical creation of Athanasius in an attempt to show that the different alternatives to the Nicene Creed collapsed back into some form of Arius' teaching. (Arius, SCM (2001) p.247) Abrahamic religions, Christianity Pelagius 354–430 PelagianismPelagius' thought was one sided and an inadequate interpretation of Christianity, but his disciples, Celestius and, to a greater extent, Julian of Eclanum pushed his ideas to extremes.(Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines A & C. Black (1965) p.361) Pelagius himself was declared orthodox by the synod of Diospolis in 415, after repudiating some of Celestius' opinions. (Frend, W.H.C. Saints and Sinners in the Early Church DLT (1985) p.133) Abrahamic religions, Christianity Nestorius 386–451 NestorianismNestorius specifically endorsed the repudiation of "Nestorianism" reached at Chalcedon in 451 (Prestige, G.L. Fathers and Heretics SPCK (1963) p.130) Abrahamic religions, Christianity Eutyches 380–456 MonophysitismMonophysitism represents an advanced type of Alexandrian Theology; it emerged in a distinctive form in 433 as a result of the agreement between John of Antioch and Cyril of Alexandria. The exaggerated form held by Eutyches was condemned in 451 by the Council of Chalcedon. In its moderate forms the divergence from orthodoxy may be simply terminological. Alexandrian Theology stressed both divine transcendence and a marked dualism between the material and the spiritual and so tended to nullify the humanity of Christ.(Cross & Livingstone. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (1974) arts. Monophysitism, Alexandrian Theology) Abrahamic religions, Christianity

Medieval to Early Modern (500–1800 AD)