Seventy-six Branch Davidians of all ages died in a fire that erupted during the siege on April 19, 1993. == Early history == In 1929, Victor Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant and a Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School teacher from southern California, claimed that he had a new message for the entire Adventist church.
Both incarnations are still waiting for the end of times. == Relationship with Seventh-Day Adventists == The Seventh-day Adventist Church, the main church in the Adventist tradition, rejected Victor Houteff's teachings and revoked his membership in 1930.
From its inception in 1930, the Davidians/Shepherd's Rod group believed that it was living in a time when Biblical prophecies of the Last Judgment were coming to pass as a prelude to Christ's Second Coming. In the late 1980s, Koresh and his followers abandoned many Branch Davidian teachings.
The Adventist leadership rejected Houteff's views as contrary to the church's basic teachings, and local church congregations disfellowshipped Houteff and his followers. In 1934, Houteff established his headquarters to the west of Waco, Texas, and his group became known as the Davidians.
They were an offshoot of the General Association of Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists, established by Victor Houteff in 1935. Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant and a Seventh-day Adventist, wrote a series of tracts entitled the "Shepherd's Rod", which called for the reform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In 1942, he renamed the group the General Association of Davidian Seventh-day Adventists 'Davidian' which indicated its belief in the restoration of the Davidic Kingdom of Israel.
The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists) were a religious sect which was founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden.
After Houteff's death in 1955, his wife Florence became the leader of the Davidians.
Following Houteff's death in 1955, the segment of the group which was loyal to Houteff continued to exist as the Davidian Seventh-day Adventists and it was led by his wife Florence.
This was the beginning of the group that would be popularly known as the Branch Davidians. In 1957, Florence sold the old Mount Carmel Center and purchased 941 acres near Elk, Texas, thirteen miles northeast of Waco, naming the property New Mount Carmel Center.
After the failure of Florence's prophecy of apocalyptic events on or near April 22, 1959, she dissolved the Branch Davidians in 1962 and sold all but 77.86 acres of the New Mount Carmel property.
After the failure of Florence's prophecy of apocalyptic events on or near April 22, 1959, she dissolved the Branch Davidians in 1962 and sold all but 77.86 acres of the New Mount Carmel property.
Roden took possession of New Mount Carmel in 1962 and began his efforts to purchase the remaining 77.86 acres.
On February 27, 1973, New Mount Carmel was sold to "Benjamin Roden, Lois Roden, and [their son] George Roden, Trustees for the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists." From this point on, the property was simply known as Mount Carmel.
Upon the death of Roden in 1978, his wife Lois became the next Davidian prophet at the compound. In 1981, a young man named Vernon Howell, later known as David Koresh, came to Mount Carmel and studied biblical prophecy under Lois Roden.
When Benjamin Roden died in 1978, he was succeeded by his wife Lois Roden.
From its inception in 1930, the Davidians/Shepherd's Rod group believed that it was living in a time when Biblical prophecies of the Last Judgment were coming to pass as a prelude to Christ's Second Coming. In the late 1980s, Koresh and his followers abandoned many Branch Davidian teachings.
Upon the death of Roden in 1978, his wife Lois became the next Davidian prophet at the compound. In 1981, a young man named Vernon Howell, later known as David Koresh, came to Mount Carmel and studied biblical prophecy under Lois Roden.
However, less than a year later, Vernon Howell rose to power and became the leader over those in the group who sympathized with him. == Rise of David Koresh == Howell's arrival at Mount Carmel in 1981 was well-received by nearly everyone at the Davidian commune.
By 1984 the core group of Davidians had shifted their allegiance from Lois' son George to Koresh.
In 1984, Howell and his followers left Mount Carmel, which Roden subsequently renamed "Rodenville". As an attempt to regain support, Roden challenged Howell to raise the dead, going so far as to exhume the corpse of a two-decades deceased Davidian in order to demonstrate his spiritual supremacy.
On November 3, 1987, Howell and seven of his followers raided Mount Carmel, equipped with five .223 caliber semi-automatic rifles, two .22 caliber rifles, two 12-gauge shotguns and nearly 400 rounds of ammunition, in an apparent attempt to retake the compound.
Koresh's leadership of the Davidians ended at the climax of the Waco siege of 1993, a 51-day standoff between members of the sect and federal agents, when Mount Carmel was destroyed in a fire.
Carmel were killed by members of the Branch Davidians during the initial raid, while four members of the Branch Davidians were killed by ATF agents on February 28, 1993.
Seventy-six Branch Davidians of all ages died in a fire that erupted during the siege on April 19, 1993. == Early history == In 1929, Victor Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant and a Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath School teacher from southern California, claimed that he had a new message for the entire Adventist church.
Allegedly, the children had been physically and sexually abused long before the raid, though no evidence of abuse was ever produced. On April 19, 1993, the FBI moved for a final siege of the compound using large weaponry such as .50 caliber (12.7 mm) rifles and armored Combat Engineering Vehicles (CEV) to combat the heavily armed Branch Davidians.
As of July 2007, all Branch Davidians had been released from prison. Several civil suits were brought against the United States government, federal officials, former governor of Texas Ann Richards, and members of the Texas Army National Guard.
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