Conrad Beissel

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Johann Conrad Beissel was the German-born religious leader who in 1732 founded the Ephrata Community in Pennsylvania. Beissel was born in Eberbach in Germany, and came to Pennsylvania in 1720. Beissel had arrived in America with the intention of joining the commune of hermits founded by Johannes Kelpius, but Kelpius had died in 1708. Beissel met with one of Kelpius' associates, Conrad Matthaei, who became his principal spiritual confidant. The group around Kelpius had arrived in 1694. They settled on a ridge above the Wissahickon Creek. There they prayed, meditated, watched the stars looking for signs of the coming kingdom of Christ, and they educated children. Some were celibate until death; others married