Doomsday Cult On The Wissahickon / Philadelphia

[jeff of pa]

America has a long history of prophets claiming to know the date of the world’s demise. In fact, the first doomsday cult in the new world was located in Philadelphia, in today’s Wissahickon Valley Park. In 1694, a group of German monks and mystics called “The Society of the Woman in the Wilderness” emigrated to Philadelphia and settled along the Wissahickon Creek. They believed the world would end before the year was out, and wanted to live an ascetic life on the edge of the known world while they awaited the Second Coming.

Doomsday Cult On The Wissahickon | Hidden City Philadelphia

 

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[jeff of pa]

This is one of the more difficult sites to find. Located on a hillside above the Wissahickon Creek near Hermit Lane, it may simply be an old springhouse. But tradition and a marker placed by the Rosicrucians brotherhood proclaims that this is where Philadelphia's first mystical guru came to meditate and await the Second Coming. Johannes Kelpius and his followers arrived in newly-founded Philadelphia from Germany in 1694 and chose the wild and beautiful Wissahickon as the best place to await the millennium. The mystics became known as "the Hermits of the Wissahickon," "The Society of the Woman in the Wilderness" or the "Mystic Brotherhood."

Cave of Kelpius

 

[mamabear]

That was an excellent article! Thanks for sharing the link. We humans are such odd critters, aren't we? Have you been exploring there?

 

[jeff of pa]

That was an excellent article! Thanks for sharing the link. We humans are such odd critters, aren't we? Have you been exploring there?

Trying to find a Map with old info for My area.

Google brought this up, Which I felt may be of interest to those closer then I

 

[Rebel - KGC]

That was an excellent article! Thanks for sharing the link. We humans are such odd critters, aren't we? Have you been exploring there?

YEP! German Mystics & Rosicrucians...

 

[CHUCK IN PA]

As always you have found another bit of interesting local history.
Thanks!

 

[tugrad]

really cool! i biked the wissahickon trail every weekend when i was in school. i had no idea what i was riding past.

 

[Doubter in MD]

So early Pennsylvanians are mad and nutty!