Branch Davidians

Branch Davidians

Flag of the Branch Davidians
Founder
Benjamin Roden
Regions with significant populations
Texas (United States)
Branch Davidian
Mount Carmel	Elk, Texas, U.S.
Languages
English

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The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists) are an apocalyptic cult founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General Association of Davidian Seventh-Day Adventists, established by Victor Houteff in 1935.

Houteff, a Seventh-day Adventist, wrote a series of tracts titled the "Shepherd's Rod", which called for reform of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. After his ideas were rejected, Houteff and his followers formed the group that became known as "Davidians" and some moved onto land outside Waco, Texas. They built a community called the Mount Carmel Center, which served as headquarters for the movement. After Houteff's death in 1955, his wife Florence took control of the organization. That same year, Roden, a follower of Houteff, proclaimed what he believed to be a new message from God and wrote letters presenting it to Davidians.^[1] He signed these letters "The Branch" believing that to be the new name Jesus had taken to reflect a new stage of his work in the heavenly sanctuary. Those who accepted Roden's teachings became known as Branch Davidians Seventh Day Adventists.

In 1957, Florence sold the Mount Carmel Center and purchased 941 acres near Elk, Texas – 13 miles northeast of Waco – naming it New Mount Carmel Center. After the failure of Florence's prophecy of apocalyptic events on or near April 22, 1959, she dissolved the Davidian Association in 1962 and sold all but 77.86 acres of the New Mount Carmel property. Roden took possession of it in 1962 and began efforts to purchase the remaining 77.86 acres. On February 27, 1973, New Mount Carmel was sold to Benjamin, his wife Lois Roden, and their son George Roden.^[2] From then on, the property was simply known as Mount Carmel. Upon the death of Roden in 1978, Lois became the next Davidian prophet at the compound.^[3]

In 1981, a young man named Vernon Howell, later known as David Koresh, came to Mount Carmel and studied biblical prophecy under Lois Roden. By 1983, Howell had gained a group of followers and they separated from Lois' organization to form "The Davidian Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Association."^[4] Meanwhile, Lois continued to operate the Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Association from Mt. Carmel Center near Waco.^[5] Howell's group and the Branch Davidians (Lois's group) were two separate organizations with different leaders, names and locations from 1983. It was not until 1987, after Lois died, that Howell filed a document claiming to be the president of the Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Association.^[6] Koresh and followers also went to Mt. Carmel center and engaged in a shootout with George Roden that eventually resulted in Koresh's group occupying the land. These actions are regarded by Branch Davidians who remained loyal to Lois as an act of identity theft against them.^[7]

Koresh's leadership ended at the Waco siege of 1993, a 51-day standoff between the sect and federal agents. Four agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and two residents were killed by the sect during the initial raid, while four sect members were killed by ATF agents on February 28, 1993. 76 members of Koresh's group, many children, died in a fire that erupted during the siege on April 19, 1993.^[8]