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Siddhartha Gautama

Verdict: Not a Jew
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Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha, was a spiritual leader and the founder of Buddhism. Born a prince in ancient India (modern-day Nepal), he lived a life of luxury before encountering the suffering of the world. This prompted him to abandon his princely duties and embark on a quest for ultimate understanding.

After years of asceticism and meditation, he attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree, becoming "Buddha" – the awakened one. He then spent the rest of his life teaching the Dharma, or the path to liberation from suffering, attracting a large following across the Indian subcontinent.

While his teachings have influenced billions globally, there's no evidence of any connection to Judaism, which kind of puts a damper on his Jew or Not Jew score. Unless he was a Crypto-Jew, which, let's be honest, is unlikely given the whole "founding a major world religion" thing.

Filed June 14, 2026 · religious-figures

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