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{{short description|Historic church in Pennsylvania, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Ephrata Cloister
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| architect =
| architecture =
| designated_nrhp_type = December 24, 1967<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=756&ResourceType=District|title=Ephrata Cloister|
| added = December 24, 1967<ref name = nris/>
| area = {{convert|30|acre}}
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| designated_other1_name = Pennsylvania state historical marker
| designated_other1_abbr = PHMC
| designated_other1_date = March 18, 1947<ref name=phmcdatabase>{{cite web | title =PHMC Historical Markers | work =Historical Marker Database | publisher =Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission | url =http://search.pahistoricalmarkers.com/ |
| designated_other1_link = List of Pennsylvania state historical markers
| designated_other1_color = navy
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{{Schwarzenau Brethren}}
The '''Ephrata Cloister''' or '''Ephrata Community''' was a [[
[[Marie Kachel Bucher]], the last surviving resident of the Ephrata Cloister, died on July 27, 2008, at the age of 98.<ref name=lancaster>{{cite news|title=Obituary of Marie Elizabeth Kachel Bucher|url=http://obits.lancasteronline.com/index.php?p=2163139|work=[[Intelligencer Journal]]|date=2008-07-29|
==History==
The community
In 1732, Beissel arrived at the banks of [[Cocalico Creek]] in Lancaster County. Around this charismatic leader a semi-monastic community (the Camp of the Solitary) with a [[convent]] (the Sister House) and a [[monastery]] (the Brother House) was established, called "Ephrata" after Biblical [[Ephrath]]. The members of the order were celibate. Members were required to sleep on wooden benches {{convert|15|in|mm}} wide, with wooden blocks for pillows. They slept six hours per night, from 9 P.M. to midnight, and from 2 A.M. until 5 A.M., with a two-hour break to "watch" for the coming of [[Christ (title)|Christ]]. They ate one small [[vegetarian]] meal a day. The only time the followers of Beissel were permitted to eat meat was during the celebration of [[Eucharist|communion]] when [[lamb and mutton|lamb]] was served. The members of the cloister spent much time at work or praying privately. Services every Saturday were led by Beissel, often being several hours long.
During the time that this group formed, there was a hint of dissatisfied intellectualism of churches. Many wanted to be away from state established churches. Strict religious lives caused these brothers and sisters to come together to worship God in other ways. Instead of practicing their religion, they applied it by helping others to become more spiritual and celibate.
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The Cloisters had a positive outlook on life; they respected their neighbors, land and environment. Education was also important in their society. It was important that every child maintain their education. Children that came from families were also encouraged to be educated in the [[German school]]. Educating the young was one of the charity works that the Cloisters accomplished. They also helped the poor by passing around bread to the poor families.
Other believing families settled near the community, accepted Beissel as their spiritual leader and worshipped with them on [[Biblical Sabbath|Sabbath]]. These families made an integral part to the cloister, which could not be self-sustaining without them. The brothers and sisters of Ephrata are famous for their writing and publishing of [[hymn]]s, and the composition of tunes in four voices.<ref name="NPR">{{cite web |last=Keatley |first=Avery |title=A New Album Re-Creates The Work Of The 1st Known Female Composers In America |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/24/894685706/a-new-album-recreates-the-work-of-the-first-known-women-composers-in-america |publisher=NPR |access-date=25 July 2020}}</ref> Beissel served as the community's composer as well as spiritual leader, and devised his own system of composition. The Ephrata hymnal (words only) was printed in 1747.
The Ephrata Cloister had the second German printing press in the American colonies and also published the largest book in Colonial America. The book, ''[[Martyrs Mirror]]'', is a history of the deaths of [[Christian martyrs]] from 4 B.C. until 1660. Before the publication began at the request of a group of [[Mennonites]] from [[Montgomery County, Pennsylvania|Montgomery County]], it had to be translated from the original Holland [[Dutch (language)|Dutch]] into [[German language|German]], which was completed by [[Peter Miller (religious leader)|Peter Miller]] of the Ephrata Community. Work began in 1748 and was finished about three years later. Many of the books were purchased by the Montgomery County Mennonites who had initiated the process.
At its height, the Ephrata community grew to {{convert|250|acre|km2}} inhabited by about 80 celibate men and women. The married congregation numbered approximately 200.
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==See also==
{{Portal|Pennsylvania|Museums}}
*[[Julius F. Sachse]], major historian of the community and its members
*[[List of the oldest buildings in Pennsylvania]]
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==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Hinds |first=William Alfred |title=American Communities and Cooperative Colonies |url=https://archive.org/details/AmericanCommunitiesAndCo-operativeColonies |publisher=University Press of the Pacific |publication-place=Honolulu |year=2004 |orig-year=1908 |isbn=9781410211521 |edition=Second |oclc=609764632
==External links==
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[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Open-air museums in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Radical Pietism]]
[[Category:Religious museums in Pennsylvania]]
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[[Category:Seventh Day Baptists]]
[[Category:Utopian communities in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Vegetarian communities]]
[[Category:Historic
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