Historic Ephrata Cloister Virtual Exhibit

"Hidden Knowledge"

Special thanks to Dr. Jeff Bach, author of Voices of the Turtledoves: The Sacred World of Ephrata. Without Dr. Bach’s advice and invaluable information, this exhibit would not have been possible.

The religious world view of Ephrata is complicated. Conrad Beissel, the founder of Ephrata, was influenced by many different religious traditions. His theology also included elements of Radical Pietism which includes disciplines of hidden knowledge such as alchemy, astrology, numerology, sacred geometry, folk magic and Christian Kabala. This "hidden knowledge" is part of what is known as the Western esoteric tradition and is now considered a legitimate academic area of study.