The Most Famous
RELIGIOUS FIGURES from Ethiopia
This page contains a list of the greatest Ethiopian Religious Figures. The pantheon dataset contains 2,238 Religious Figures, 5 of which were born in Ethiopia. This makes Ethiopia the birth place of the 58th most number of Religious Figures behind Morocco and Vietnam.
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Ethiopian Religious Figures of all time. This list of famous Ethiopian Religious Figures is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Onuphrius (320 - 400)
With an HPI of 64.01, Onuphrius is the most famous Ethiopian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 21 different languages on wikipedia.
Onuphrius (Greek: Ὀνούφριος, romanized: Onouphrios; also Onoufrios) lived as a hermit in the desert of Upper Egypt in the 4th or 5th centuries. He is venerated as Saint Onuphrius in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic churches, as Venerable Onuphrius in Eastern Orthodoxy, and as Saint Nofer the Anchorite in Oriental Orthodoxy.
2. Abdullah ibn Ja'far (650 - 680)
With an HPI of 56.92, Abdullah ibn Ja'far is the 2nd most famous Ethiopian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.
Abd Allah ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib al-Hashimi (Arabic: عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ٱبْن جَعْفَر ٱبْن أَبِي طَالِب الْهَاشِمِي, romanized: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Jaʿfar ibn ʾAbī Ṭālib al-Hāshimī; c. 624 – 699 or 702/704) was a companion and relative of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, a nephew of Ali, a half-brother of Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr and grandfather of Abd Allah ibn Mu'awiya. He was loyal to Ahl al-Bayt in spite of his absence at the Battle of Karbala. He is reported to have said: ”Allah given Chance to my two sons (Awn and Muhammad) I should have also there, if I be there I also sacrifice myself for Hussain Ibn e Ali." According to Richard Francis Burton he is widely recognized as the most sympathetic amongst Arabs. His grave is situated near Aqil ibn Abi Talib and Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith (the grandson of Abd al-Muttalib) in al-Baqi Cemetery.
3. Zara Yaqob (1399 - 1468)
With an HPI of 52.07, Zara Yaqob is the 3rd most famous Ethiopian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Zara Yaqob (Ge'ez: ዘርዐ ያዕቆብ; 1399 – 26 August 1468) was Emperor of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonic dynasty who ruled under the regnal name Kwestantinos I (Ge'ez: ቈስታንቲኖስ, "Constantine"). He is known for the Ge'ez literature that flourished during his reign, the handling of both internal Christian affairs and external wars with Muslims, along with the founding of Debre Birhan as his capital. He reigned for 34 years and 2 months. The British historian, Edward Ullendorff, stated that Zara Yaqob "was unquestionably the greatest ruler Ethiopia had seen since Ezana, during the heyday of Aksumite power, and none of his successors on the throne – excepted only the emperors Menelik II and Haile Selassie – can be compared to him."
4. Mara Takla Haymanot (900 - 1000)
With an HPI of 47.12, Mara Takla Haymanot is the 4th most famous Ethiopian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Mara Takla Haymanot (Ge'ez: ማራ ታክላ ሃይማኖት) was King and the founder of the Zagwe dynasty. Some king lists give his name simply as "Mararah", and other King Lists as "Takla Haymanot".
5. Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel (1948 - )
With an HPI of 43.91, Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel is the 5th most famous Ethiopian Religious Figure. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, CM (born 14 July 1948) is an Ethiopian prelate of the Ethiopian Catholic Church, which he has headed since his election as Ethiopian Catholic Archbishop of Addis Abeba in 1999. He is also the chancellor of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa and the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia and Eritrea. He was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis in 2015. He was imprisoned while a priest by the Communist government of Ethiopia in 1979–80. A member of the Congregation of the Mission, he directed the order's novitiate in the mid-1980s and was provincial superior from 1990 to 1994. He served as auxiliary bishop of Addis Abeba for 18 months before becoming archbishop.
Pantheon has 5 people classified as religious figures born between 320 and 1948. Of these 5, 1 (20.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living religious figures include Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel. The most famous deceased religious figures include Onuphrius, Abdullah ibn Ja'far, and Zara Yaqob. As of April 2022, 1 new religious figures have been added to Pantheon including Mara Takla Haymanot.
Living Religious Figures
Go to all RankingsDeceased Religious Figures
Go to all Rankings
Onuphrius
320 - 400
HPI: 64.01
Abdullah ibn Ja'far
650 - 680
HPI: 56.92
Zara Yaqob
1399 - 1468
HPI: 52.07
Mara Takla Haymanot
900 - 1000
HPI: 47.12
