Branch Davidians
The cult of David Koresh in Waco, TX, in which almost every member was killed during a raid by authorities
1955 - 1993
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David Koresh, the cult's leader during the Waco Seige
The Branch Davidians developed in 1955 out of a failed apocalyptic prediction of the "Davidians," an offshoot of the Seventh-day Adventist Church led by self-proclaimed prophet Victor Houteff. After the apocalypse failed to happen on the predicted day, the sect fractured into various groups, including the "Branch Davidians," who gained control of their Mt. Carmel compound.
David Koresh, the group's most famous member, joined the Branch Davidians in 1981. He had previously impregnated a 15-year-old girl and later told his pastor that God wanted him to sleep with the pastor's daughter, causing him to get kicked out of the church. Finding a new home with the Branch Davidians, Koresh developed a sexual relationship with the elderly leader, Lois Roden. After Lois died in 1986, her son George was supposed to become the new leader. However, Koresh maintained that he should be the next leader, resulting in a power struggle in the cult.
Koresh won the loyalty of the majority of members, so George challenged him to a battle to see who could resurrect a dead member. Instead of accepting this challenge, Koresh reported the desecration of a dead body to the local police. Then, Koresh commanded his armed followers to take over Mt. Carmel by force. After a bloody shootout and the arrest of George by law enforcement, Koresh successfully took over Mt. Carmel as the new leader of the Branch Davidians.
With his opposition out of the way, Koresh took on the role of a prophet of God and told his followers the apocalypse was imminent. He predicted that law enforcement would try to destroy the cult but that the cult would overpower them with God on their side and bring about Armageddon. He stockpiled mass amounts of weapons, prepared his followers for war, and declared all the women in the cult to be his wife.
After former members warned authorities that Koresh was stockpiling weapons and abusing children, the ATF, ignorant of the apocalyptic expectations of the cult, launched a raid on the compound, killing six members. Since the cult saw this as fulfilling their apocalyptic prophecy, they did not surrender but instead fought back, killing four ATF agents.
After it was clear that the ATF raid had failed, the FBI took over but did not do any better. After a 51-day siege involving tanks, tear gas, helicopters, and no discernable progress, the Mt. Carmel compound caught fire, killing almost everyone inside; 76 additional deaths. The government imprisoned the remaining members and conducted an investigation, concluding that the fire had been started by the cult rather than federal agents. However, the public became skeptical, and by 1999, most Americans believed there had been a government cover-up.
Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Seventh-Day Adventist (offshoot)
Founder: Benjamin Roden
Leader: Vernon Howell ("David Koresh") (1987-1993)
Founded: 1955
Ended: 1993
Location: Mt. Carmel compound in Waco, TX
Size: 126 (1993)
Other Names: General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists; The Davidian Branch Davidian Seventh Day Adventist Association; Koreshians
Koresh would deprive his followers of food, sleep, and bathroom breaks during his sermons that could last for hours (source)
According to former member Jeannine Bunds, Koresh annulled the marriages of everyone in the cult (source)
Four members testified to law enforcement that Koresh had had sexual relations with at least two children (source)
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Koresh had sexual relations with children as young as ten. They also said there was evidence that Koresh had "wives" in their mid-teens, told inappropriate sexual stories in front of children, and told children that "it was a privilege for them to become old enough (i.e., reach puberty) to have sex with him" (source, source)
After interviewing children who had been released during the raid, Dr. Bruce Perry said, "I think it is highly probable that [a young girl] was involved in some kind of sexual behavior [with Koresh]" (source)
Former member Michelle Tom claimed that Koresh once spanked his eight-month-old daughter for forty minutes, resulting in bruises and bleeding (source)
Koresh had previously predicted that law enforcement agencies would try to kill the cult members, which would usher in the apocalypse. The Waco siege was seen as the fulfillment of this prophecy (source, source)
Koresh claimed to be the final angel prophesied in the book of Revelation (source ch. 13)
Suspected of manufacturing methamphetamine (source p. 5)
In 1990, a former member accused Koresh of planning a child sacrifice (source ch. 13)
Founder Benjamin Roden claimed to have received direct revelations from God, arguing that he should be the next leader of the Davidians (source)
Scholars debate if Koresh claimed to be Jesus or God. Some argue that he claimed to be a christ rather than the Christ (an "anointed one," rather than Jesus) and that he claimed to be the lamb prophesied in the book of Revelation (source ch. 13)
Koresh declared himself to be the "Lamb of God" and the chosen one to interpret the seven seals in the book of Revelation (source)
The majority of Branch Davidians died after their compound was set on fire during the Waco Siege in 1993. This is still a controversial event, and there is disagreement on if the deaths were acts of suicide or if they were killed, either intentionally or accidentally, by either Federal Agents or Branch Davidians. As a result, we have labeled this event with both tags (source)
Koresh was tried but acquitted of murder after he shot George Roden (source ch. 13)
George Roden was arrested for murder in an unrelated incident, allowing Koresh to gain control of the community (source ch. 13)
Former members and relatives of members alleged that members were willing to die for Koresh or had planned a mass suicide. However, the FBI also "received much credible information discounting the possibility of suicide," such as the lack of any plans or preparation for suicide during the siege, and claims that suicide would be inconsistent with the cult's religious beliefs (source)
Fire that destroyed the compound during the 1993 Waco Seige
Koresh urged his followers to hand over their money and worldly possessions to his control (source)
David Koresh had 19 wives and slept with girls as young as 12 (source)
Koresh intended to create a lineage of world rulers (source)
Koresh was told by divine revelation that all the men in the community (except him) were to remain celibate, and all the women were to become his wives (source, source ch. 13)
Former member Jeannine Bunds testified that Koresh had "exclusive sexual access to the women" in the cult (source)
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Frustration at the government for how they handled the siege is believed to have influenced the Oklahoma City bombing, which resulted in 168 additional deaths (source)
Koresh and Roden had a shootout when Koresh tried to get evidence of Roden abusing a corpse (source ch. 13)
It is not clear who fired the first shot in the raid (source ch. 13)
Most religious studies scholars agree that law enforcement mishandled the conflict (source ch. 13)
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Summary of the 1993 Waco Seige
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