Homer

The legendary author credited with writing the foundational works of Western literature, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer's very existence is debated, let alone his religious leanings. What's not debated is the sheer, unadulterated kvell-worthiness of his storytelling. Seriously, try going one day without someone referencing Achilles' heel or an odyssey of their own. You can't.

While some scholars suggest Homer was merely a name for a collection of oral traditions, we're sticking with the singular, brilliant mind here. And that mind was firmly Greco-Roman, not Judeo-Christian. His pantheon of squabbling, all-too-human gods had about as much to do with monotheism as a baklava has to do with gefilte fish.

So, no, while Homer certainly influenced countless Jewish thinkers and artists, he himself was about as Jewish as a Spartan spear. But his epics? Those are eternal, inspiring, and absolutely kvell-worthy.