A BRUEF HISTORY OF CYRUS TEED AND THE KORESHANS

++33Parlin4 2016

KORESHAN STATE HISTORIC SITE
3800 Corkscrew Rd
Estero, Florida 33928

A Brief History of Dr. Cyrus Teed
and the Koreshans

Dr. Roger M. Parlin ([email protected]) 239-470-0265

Koreshan State Historical Park
8/25/2016

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KORESHAN STATE HISTORICAL PARK

CLICK HERE FOR THE DIRECTORY

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to say thanks to all the Rangers, volunteers and volunteer Docents that
helped make this State Park the best in Florida. Also, I would like to give a very
special thanks to Ron Westcott, a fellow Docent, for all of his help and guidance in
helping me put this work together.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The following work is a list of the most commonly asked questions by the many
thousands of guests that visit our park every year. The original purpose of this paper
was to help me, as a new Docent, to understand the lives and times of the Koreshans
Unity and their rich history. However, history only points out what happened and not
why it happened.

Italicized information reflects my opinion on a particular topic or topics.

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Roger M. Parlin, Ph.D.
Docent Volunteer
KORESHAN STATE HISTORIC SITE
[email protected]
239-470-0265
Ranger Station
239-992-0311
Dr. Parlin graduated from Trevecca University with a B.A. in Religion and Pacific
University with a Ph.D. in Religious Studies with an emphasis in Christian
Counseling.

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DIRECTORY OF QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
(Click on Page Number to go to question)

1.Guided Tours (Page 15)

2.Who Were The Koreshans? (Page 16)

3.How Did Florida Obtain This Land As A Park? (Page 17)
4.What Are The Attractions Here At The Park? (Page 18)
5.The Ghost Walk (Page 27)
6.Who Was Cyrus Teed? (Page 28)
7.What Was Dr. Teed’s Educational Background? (Page 29)
8.Was Cyrus Teed Married? (Page 31)

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9.Did Cyrus And Fidelia Have Any Children? (Page 32)
10. Cyrus Teed’s Brief Military Career (Page 34)

11. The Art Hall (Page 36)
12. What Was The Time Dr. Teed Started His Religious Following? (Page 38)
13. Why Does The Pulpit Appear to Have The Star of David On It? (Page 39)
14. What Was Dr. Teed’s Religious Background? (Page 45)
15. Dr. Teed’s Big Break (1869 To 1886) (Page 47)
16. When Did The Koreshan Unity Start? (Page 48)

17. Other Utopian Groups (Page 49)

18. Where Did The Paintings Come From In The Art Hall? (Page 50)

19. The Steinway Piano (Page 52)

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20. Did The Koreshans Have Access To Any Educational Facility?

The Pioneer University (Page 55)

21. Why Did Dr. Teed Believe That The Earth Was Hollow? (Page 56)
22. Cellular Cosmogony (Page 57)
23. Why Was the Survey Flawed? (Page 58)
24. Other Scientist That Believed In the Hollow Earth Theory. (Page 59)
25. Galileo (Page 62)
26. How Did Dr. Teed Come Up With His Theory Of A Hollow

Earth? (Page 66)

27. How Did the Koreshans Support Themselves at The Unity? (Page 68)

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28. Why Did The Koreshans Believe Teeds’ Teachings? (Page 71)

29. Was The Unity A Cult or Sect? (Page 74)
30. Why Were So Many (Around 70 To 80%) Of The Koreshan

Followers Women? (Page 77)

31. Gendercide (Page 81)
32. Divorce In The 19th Century (Page 82)
33. The Civil War: Many Women Were Widowed (Page 83)
34. Victorian Age (1837 To 1901) Victorian Morality (Page 84)
35. Women’s Rights In The Victorian Age (Page 85)
36. What Was Life Like For The Members Of The Unity

And Especially For Women? (Page 90

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37. How Did The Koreshans Expect To Survive Into The

Future If They Were Celibate? (Page 93)

38. Were some of the Members, not Celibate? (Page 94)
39. Did the Koreshins feel that sex was immoral? (Page 95)
40. Is There Any Relationship Between The Koreshans

Here In Estero And David Koresh Of The Branch
Davidian Church Of Waco, Texas? (Page 96)

41. What Was The Koreshan New Jerusalem? (Page 98)
42. How Many Buildings Are There At The Park? (Page 100)
43. Early Estero (Page 103)
44. The Old and New Stores (Page 104)

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45. The Koreshan Unity Trailer Park (Page 113)
46. The Politics Of The Koreshans (Page 115)

47. Looking For A Place To Build The Koreshan

“New Jerusalem” (Page 117)

48. Gustave Damkohler The Gustave Damkohler Cottage (Page 118)

49. The Bamboo Landing (Page 125)

50. The Founders Home (Page 128)

51. Victoria Gratia Koresh, a.k.a. Annie Glassen Ordway (Page 130)

52. The Passing Of Cyrus Teed (Page 133)
53. Teed’s Beach House (Page 136)
54. The Planetary Court - Koreshan Settlement: 1904 (Page 137)
55. Was Their Equality Of The Sexes? (Page 144)

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56. George Hunt (Page 145)

57. Who Is Buried In The Grave By The Bakery? (Page 147)

58. Where Are The Other Koreshans Buried? (Page 149)

59. The Bakery (Page 150)

60. The Dining Hall and Women’s Dorm (Page 152)

61. Home Of Vesta Newcomb (Page 154)

62. The Tennis Court (Page 157)

63. The Member’s Cottage (1903 / 1904) (Page 158)

64. Laundry House (No Longer Here) (Page 159)

65. The Large Machine Shop (Page 160)

66. The Small Machine Shop (Page 161)

67. The Electric Generator Building (Page 162)

68. The Storage Shed (Page 164)

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69. The Wood Stove In The Storage Shed (Page 165)

70. The Anna Lewis Home (Not Open to Visitors). (Page 166)
71. Additional Information (Page 167)
72. Peter Hicks was a former Ranger here at the Koreshan State Historic Site (Page 168)

The following is a list of the most common questions asks by the thousands of guest
that visit our park each year.

I have attempted to compile a list of questions most frequently
asked by the guests that visit the Park. Please feel free to contact
the Park or me for any questions you may have regarding the
history of the Koreshan Unity, or common questions you may get
from the guest. ([email protected]).

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CREDITS: This work is far from original, and it is not intended for resale but as a
gathering of information and labor of many sources for educational purposes only. I have
extensively used information gathered from the Park staff and the many hundreds of
articles found on the internet. Whenever possible I have placed a link that will take you
to the source of my information giving credit to those, like me, that have worked to bring
you the rich history of the Koreshans.

For PC, Mac or i-Pad users, please click on the BLUE UNDERLINED LINKS for more
information on the source. To return to the document page PC users should clicking the
(X) at the source page in the upper right corner of the screen.

For Mac or i-Pad users just click on underlined material to move to the source page.
Click on (Done) to return to the document page. Please feel free to call me if you have
questions (239) 470-0265.

DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
As stated above, I have borrowed heavily from the work of others in compiling this
document from the thousands of articles found on the net such as Florida Memory. In
some cases I have copied verbatim from the work of others.

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Florida Memory provides online access to materials in the custody of the State Library
and Archives of Florida.
I have used material from Florida Memory and other websites for research and
educational purposes. The views or interpretation of materials expressed in this document
do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Florida Department of State, or the
State Library and Archives of Florida, nor the Koreshan State Historic Site. It is my
attempt to shed some light on the rationale behind the historical facts. The use of any
materials in the custody of the State Archives of Florida is governed by state law and, in
some cases, by the terms of the donation agreement under which the Archives acquired
the materials.

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GUIDED TOURS
Guided Tours of the Historic Settlement and Plants of the Garden are available every
Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 a.m. April through December and daily at 10:00 a.m. and
2:00 p.m. January through March. Contact the Ranger Station at (239) 992-0311 for
additional information.
Request for these and other tours for clubs, home school associations, and other groups
may be made by calling us. We will do everything possible to accommodate all groups.
Please call as soon as possible to ensure we will be able to fulfill your requested dates.

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Who were the Koreshan’s?

The Koreshan Unity was a Communal Utopia formed by Dr. Cyrus Teed, MD who took
the name "Koresh", the original Hebrew of his name Cyrus, which in Hebrew means
Shepard. The religious system was called Koreshanity.

The Koreshan Unity started in the 1870s in New York1, where Teed began preaching his

beliefs. He formed short-lived groups in New York City and Moravia. He later moved
to Chicago. Teed's followers formed a commune in Chicago in 1888 called – The

Koreshan Unity. Some members also created a short-lived community in San

Francisco (1891&1892). Small church groups existed in other towns.

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How did Florida obtain this land as a Park?
Following Dr. Cyrus (Koresh) Teed's death the Founder of the Koreshans, late in 1908,
the group went into decline; several groups split off from the Unity One such group was
the Order of Theocracy. They left in 1910 and moved to nearby Fort Myers. This group

1 https://www.floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/collections/?id=51 (see Historical Note)

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lasted until 1931. The fact the Unity was celibate did not help, although celibacy was not
the real problem since there was a married status within the Unity. Celibates were the
highest order. With some members leaving and without new members joining, the group
slowly dwindled.
Finally in 1961 Hedwig Michel, (more on her later) only surviving member and
president of the Koreshans religious community deeded the property to the State of
Florida. The Unity then became The Koreshan State Park. Later in 1967 the Park was
given the status as a Historical Site and became The Koreshan State Historic Site.
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What are the attractions here at the Park?
The Park, in addition to the Koreshan Unity, has many attractions that draw guest to the
Park in the thousands every year. Here are just a few:
BOTANICAL GARDENS:

Eucalyptus, mango and other fruit bearing trees,
an extraordinary amount of bamboo that
originally hails from the Edison and Ford
Winter Estates, and many flowering trees and
plants of a wide variety. The Park offers
Botanical tours every Tuesday at 1:00 PM
during the tourist season. Here are some
samples of what's included in the tour is the
following:

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False Monkey Puzzle Tree:
The Koreshans imported a wide range of plant species from across the world, including

an Araucaria bidwillii (false monkey puzzle
tree), which is indigenous to Queensland,
Australia, and drops seed pods as large as a
football.

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African Sausage Tree 20

In the back of the Planetary Court is an
African Sausage Tree which is native to
Africa and used for food for giraffes,
elephants, and cattle.

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Bauhinias’ Beauty – The Camel Foot Tree
It’s called the Camel Foot Tree. This tree is
native to India. In the United States of America,
the tree grows in Hawaii, coastal California,
southern Texas, and southwest
Florida. Bauhinia blakeana is usually
propagated by grafting it onto P.
purpurea stems.

This particular Tree located at Koreshan State
Park is just outside the Art Hall.

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Bombax Trees 22

They are native to western Africa, the Indian
subcontinent, Southeast Asia, as well as subtropical
regions of East Asia and northern Australia. The
Common name for the Bombax is Red Silk Cotton Tree.

Milk & Wine Lily
The first Crinums to bloom every summer, and if the
early summer is cool, the 2-3 bloom spikes each bulb
sends up will last for a couple weeks each, giving
almost a month of large amaryllis blooms, one after
another.

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WILDLIFE
Among the wildlife of the park are, bobcats, gray foxes, coyotes, manatees, North

American river otters and American
alligators, gopher tortoises, and a
variety of other reptiles, as well as
such birds as swallow-tailed kites,
bald eagles, northern bobwhites, and
red-shouldered hawks.

PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOUR PARK and Please be aware that ALL plant and
animals are protected by state law.

We ask your cooperation in doing nothing that would damage park property or would
harm or cause any animal stress.

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Please observe our wildlife, but do not attempt to handle or get too close - please keep
your distance. Remember these are wild animals. Damage, vandalism or destruction of
any property or any animal could result in a fine of up to $1000 and 90 days in jail.
So, please take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.
HIKING TRAILS & CANOEING

In addition to the historic buildings of the
settlement, the state park includes canoeing on
the Estero River which flows directly next to the
settlement as well as hiking trails and the
presence of many protected species of animals
throughout the park.

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FARMERS & NATIVE PLANTS

The Park has a Farmers Market every Sunday from 8:00 AM to
1:00 PM.
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Every Wednesday and Saturday, in season, at 11:30 AM in the Historic Industrial
Area you can enjoy a demonstration of early 1900’s engines.
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THE GHOST WALK 27

For the past 26 years, the
Koreshan State Historical
Site has offered guests a view
of the life and times of Cyrus
Teed and the Koreshans with
a theatrical production call
the Ghost Walk.

The one-hour program walks the shell paths of the 110-acre grounds of the park and
costumed volunteers act out parts of the times and lives of the Koreshans. The event is
held the last two Fridays and Saturdays of January and the first two Fridays and
Saturdays of February. Please contact the Koreshan Ranger Station for more details or to
purchase tickets (239) 992-0311. For a more comprehensive view of the events at the
Park click here.

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Who was Cyrus Teed?
Cyrus Teed – Founder of the Koreshans (1839–1908)

Cyrus R. Teed was an unusual pioneer, to come to South
Florida, bringing his followers here to Estero Florida in
1894. Cyrus Teed was the Founder of the Koreshans and
believed himself to be a prophet (a special messenger of
God). Cyrus was the second son of eight children. He was
born in New York State on Oct 18, 1839, in Trout Creek,
in Delaware County near Teedsville, 15 miles north of
Walton NY. Dr. Cyrus (Koresh) Teed died on Dec 22,
1908, at the age of 69.

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What was Dr. Teed’s Educational Background?2
Teed’s parents were of the Baptist faith, and as Cyrus grew older, his friends urged him
to study for the ministry because of his natural oratorical ability, but Cyrus decided to
become a physician and in 1859 commenced the study of medicine with his uncle, Dr.
Samuel F. Teed, in Utica, N.Y.3

Samuel F. Teed was a 25-year-old allopathic4 physician. Cyrus Teed
had only completed the eighth grade, dropping out of school at age
11 to work as a Hoggee on the Erie Canal to help support his family.
At that time in history, neither a high school nor a College education
was a requirement for medical school. Teed would finish medical
school in 18685 at age 29. Although we should take into
consideration that Teed’s schooling was interrupted by a short tour of
duty in the Army of only14 months of his 36-month enlistment due
to sunstroke injury (more on that later).

By Peter Hicks

3 http://koreshan.mwweb.org/blog/?p=1736#identifier_0_1736

4 https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=allopathic+physician
5 http://koreshan.mwweb.org/teed.htm (see idem 2)

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I could find no record of when he started back to medical school. Surprisingly, most
doctors at that time learned their trade by working as an apprentice with other physicians,
or a physician, without the benefit of medical school at all.
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Was Cyrus Teed married? 31

Marriage and Family: In 1859 at age 20,
Cyrus married his second cousin, Fidelia
(Delia) M. Rowe. Cyrus was 20 years old,
and Fidelia was 19. She was married to Dr.
Teed for 27 years and died at the age of 47 of
tuberculosis.

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Did Cyrus and Fidelia have any children?
Yes - In 1860, Teed now 21 had a son Douglas. Then, two years later, in 1862 Cyrus
Teed now 23 moved, his small family to Brooklyn, New York. While there in New York
he enrolled in Medical School but dropped out and joined the New York Infantry
Volunteers at age 23. I could find no record of how long he was in medical school before
dropping out to join the Army. However, Teed was 23 when he moved to New York and
was 23 when he dropped out of medical school to join the Army, so it must have been
less than a year. Some sources indicate that he worked as an assistant physician and
surgeon this may have been an embellishment on the truth to make Cyrus Teed look
somewhat bigger than life

DOUGLAS TEED (1860-1929 passed at age 69)
When Douglas was nine (1869), his father left the family to
develop a religious sect called 'Koreshanity' after experiencing
what he claimed was a divine vision. Douglas and his mother
never converted to Koreshanity and allegedly due to ill health,
Fidelia and Douglas moved in with her sister in Binghamton,
New York, even though her husband Cyrus was a Medical
Doctor. It appears that his focus was on other matters than his
marriage. They remained there until Fidelia’s death of
tuberculosis in 1885, Douglas her son now 25 and Cyrus now 46

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or 47. There is no record of Cyrus and Fidelia ever getting a divorce but of the 26 years
of marriage, it appears that they spent less than eight years together.
Douglas became an artist and traveled the world. Several of his paintings are on display
here at the Art Hall. Learn More: Douglas’s marriage i
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Cyrus Teed’s brief military career

“Cyrus Teed enlisted in Company F, 127th New York
Infantry of the New York volunteers on August 9, 1862, at
the age of twenty-two. On April 12, 1863, he was assigned
to Brigade Headquarters.” Teed became a special aid to an
acting General Woodford. His duty assignment is not clear.
While on the march near Warrenton Junction, Virginia on
August 1, 1863, he suffered sunstroke which led to paralysis
of his left arm and leg. Army records indicate that he was
assigned on August 8th, 1863 to Ward 2, bed 71 at the
General Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia where he was
treated for fifty-four days until his release from the hospital.
From the time of injury, August 1st to time of discharged
from the hospital on September 30th would be about 61
days.

He received an Honorable (Medical) Discharge from the Army on October 16th, 1863.
After his medical discharge from the service he returned to New York City to complete

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his medical studies in Eclectic Medicine graduating in February 1868.”
As a patient at the Army hospital, Corporal Cyrus Teed noticed that wounded soldiers
with a positive outlook on life or having a strong religious faith recovered faster.

At the close of the war, he resumed his study of medicine. The length of time from
discharged from the Army and when he continued his studies in medicine is also unclear.
However, one source6 indicates that he graduated in 1868 at age 29. From the time of
Army discharge to date of graduation would have been five years.

[Credit is due C. J. Rahn, whose compilation of biographical data was drawn upon.] However, Rahn was quite elderly at this time.

1. There is no evidence that Jesse Teed was ever a country doctor. At one time he did run his own company, the “Teed Water Works” [ ]
2. Teed was discharged on 16 October 1863. He served about 14 months. From some, the war did not end until May 1865. [ ]7
3. Teed resumed the study of medicine at New York Eclectic Medical College. He graduated in 1868 and commenced practice in Utica, N.Y.

Source8

6 ((3)) he resumed the study of medicine at New York Eclectic Medical College. He graduated in 1868 and commenced practice in Utica, N.Y. - See
more at: http://koreshan.mwweb.org/blog/?p=1736#footnote_2_1736

8 : http://koreshan.mwweb.org/blog/?p=1736#footnote_2_1736

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THE ART HALL (1905) 36

Early Photo of the East side of the Art Hall What was The Art Hall used for
by the Koreshans?
The Art Hall was one of the most
important buildings to the
Koreshan Unity Settlement.
The Hall was used by the
Koreshan’s for entertainment,
education, as well as the center of
all religious activity.

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What is the Art Hall used for today?
A Lecture Hall, Concert Hall and Museum and contains early historical documents of
the Koreshan Unity as well as musical instruments used by the Koreshans.

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What was the time Dr. Teed started his religious following?

ILLUMINATION: The autumn of 1869 at age 30,
Cyrus Teed had what he later referred to as his
Illumination (Isaiah 11:10, Isaiah 44:28).
While working in his laboratory, he claimed to
have changed lead into gold (alchemy). He called
this knowledge the "Philosopher's Stone." Also,
allegedly, at that time, according to some reports,
while experimenting with electricity he was
shocked into unconsciousness. Then, later that
same evening, he had a vision in which he saw
God (a spirit) in the form of a beautiful woman
and learned the secrets of the Universe and his
Place in it. The Koreshan God had a male-female
aspect. Later Cyrus Teed took on the name “Koresh”. The Word Cyrus in ancient
Hebrew is pronounced Koresh and Koresh is a word meaning Shepherd.
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Why does the pulpit appear to have the Star of David on it?

In the Art Hall please notice the star on the front of
the pulpit resembling the Jewish Star of David.
Although it is not clear where the pulpit came from
it appears to have the Star of David on it, but it
does not. The symbol is that of THE SEAL OF
SOLOMON. It could be that the Koreshans
“borrowed” the symbol, with its interwoven
triangles as a representation of the male - female
aspects of God. In tradition, the overlapping triangles
stood for male and female. The triangle with its point
upward represented male and the triangle pointing
down represented female. Later Koreshan prayers
would be to the Mother-Father God.

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MORE ON THE SEAL:
The Pope and the Seal of Solomon

AT TOP LEFT the Popes Papal hat
known as a mitre. AT TOP LEFT:
A close-up picture of Pope Benedict
XVI’s (16th) Papal hat called a mitre.
The six-pointed hexagram located in
front of the headpiece appears to be a
Seal of Solomon, rather than the Star
of David.

AT TOP RIGHT: The yellow Star
of David on the left side has the
German word Jude (Jew in English)
written in the center.

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The blue Star of David (Magen ((SIC))9 David in Hebrew) on
the right side is found upon the official, national flag of Israel.

AT BOTTOM LEFT: These two black hexagrams in an all-white background are
fundamental representations of a Star of David,
seen on the left side, and a Seal of Solomon,
seen on the right.

AT BOTTOM RIGHT: A six-pointed
hexagram carved upon one of the walls of St.
Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, the official
capital of the Roman Catholic Church.

9 The notation's usual purpose is to inform the reader that any errors or apparent errors in quoted material do not arise from errors in the course of the transcription, but are
intentionally reproduced, exactly as they appear in the source text.

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THE SEAL OF SOLOMON vs. THE STAR OF DAVID
A rather interesting take on the very real differences between the Star of David and the
Seal of Solomon reads as follows: “The Seal of Solomon resembles the Jewish Star of
David, but the Star of David does not have interlocking triangles.” It is unlikely the
Pope would have on his Mitre (hat) the Jewish symbol of the Star of David. The Seal
of Solomon is over 3000 years old. During the 19th century (the 1800’s) the symbol
(The Star of David) began to proliferate amongst Jewish communities of Eastern Europe,
ultimately being used amongst the Jewish communities in the Pale of Settlement.
Learn More

A significant motivating factor was the desire to
imitate the influence of the Christian cross. In
Medieval Jewish, Islamic and Christian legends,
the Seal of Solomon was a magical
signet ring said to have the
symbol now called the Star of
David (hexagram), often within a
circle, usually with the two
triangles interlaced rather than
intersecting.

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When one looks closely enough at the picture above, the differences between the
Star of David (on the Left) and the Seal of Solomon (on the Right) should become
readily apparent. By tradition, the Star of David has only 2-Dimensional overlapping
or intersecting triangles, while the Seal of Solomon always has 3-Dimensional
interwoven or interlaced triangles.
Because of this, the Seal of Solomon may also sometimes be confused with the Star
of David, although this remains technically incorrect. As confirmed by a Jewish
Rabbi visiting the park.
The Seal of Solomon represents the Divine Union, being composed of a female,
triangle, and a male, fiery triangle. Traditional elemental triangles of earth; air;
water and fire are derived from the seal.

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This Seal of Solomon was placed in the Estero Village Seal in the upper left corner.
Please see photo below. Also, visit page (Page 103) for more on the Estero Village
history. It could be argued that the Seal may have represented the Male / Female
aspect of God to Cyrus Teed and he “borrowed” it for his own reasons. (For more
information please Google “The Seal of Solomon”. Credit: (Learn more 1) (Learn
more 2)

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What was Dr. Teed’s Religious Background?
Teed was raised a Baptist. However, in
1878 at age 40, Dr. Teed was admitted to
membership in the North Family of
Shakers in Lebanon, New York. The
Shakers by doctrine are Pentecostal.10 The
Shakers were a religious organization with
many beliefs similar to that of Teed’s,
including the concept of community living
or a utopian community. A few years later
Teed invited them to become a part of the
Koreshan Unity, but they declined to join.
The leadership could not quite believe in

Teed’s theory of Cosmology (that is, living inside the earth) - more on that later.

10 http://www.bible.ca/cr-quakers.htm

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The Shakers were founded in the 18th century in England. They were known as the
Shakers because of their ecstatic behavior during worship services.
Dr. (Koresh) Teed also had contact with several other Utopian Belief systems other than
the Shakers such as the Harmonists.11

Credits:
11 On February 15, 1805, the group of approximately 400 followers formally organized the Harmony Society, placing all their goods in common.
Under its founder and spiritual leader, Johann Georg Rapp (1757–1847); Frederick (Reichert) Rapp (1775–1834), his adopted son who managed its
business affairs; and their associates, the Society existed for one hundred years; roughly from 1805 until 1905. Members were known as Harmonists.

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Dr. Teed’s big break (1869 to 1886)
Dr. Teed’s dreams of a Utopian Society over the following 17 years met with no little
resistance. Although his medical practice for a time was doing quite well many of this
patience resisted his unorthodox religious theories and stop coming to him for medical
services. Also, allegedly his patients were slow to pay him.

Then in September 1886 Dr. Teed, now 47, was invited to address a convention of the
National Association of Mental Science in Chicago, Ill. At this convention he made
such a deep impression by his eloquence and magnetic personality that he was
subsequently elected to the presidency of the Association. This favorable reception in
Chicago induced Dr. Teed to settle there, and in October 1886 he incorporated “The
College of life” under the Laws of the State of Illinois.11

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When did the Unity start?
Then, one year later or so after Dr.Teeds’ Illumination, in the 1870s he, Dr.Teeds
founded a commune in New York then moved it to Chicago in 1886. At this time Dr.
Teed started going by the name Koresh. The Unity became the “Koreshan Unity”
in the early 1890’s. The Unity was a commune whose rule of conduct was based on
Dr. Cyrus (Koresh) Teed teachings.

And it was, at this time, that Dr. (Koresh) Teed’s medical practice started to find itself in
trouble. Dr. Teed was a zealot and would often talk to his patients’ about his religious
beliefs.
His patients, for the most part, thought that he was a little unorthodox, if not downright
crazy, with his religious theories and stopped coming to him. He became known as the
“Crazy Doctor.”

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OTHER UTOPIAN GROUPS
Where are they today? These Utopian groups
were springing up all over and especially in the
New York area. New Yorks’ Ellis Island was a port
for many immigrants seeking religious and political
freedom from the monarchies and religious
suppression of Europe – the very wealthy and the
destitute. Even the Communist Party of Russia in
191712 was an attempt to rid itself of the tyranny of

the monarchy of the Russian Czar Nicolas II by overthrowing the Czar and forming a
non-religious Utopian Commune. The Koreshan Unity was a commune where all
property were owned in common by all members.

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12 https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=Communist+Party+of+Russia+in+1917

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Where did the paintings come from in the Art Hall?

The Art Hall housed and displayed
several paintings by Teed’s son
Douglas A. Teed. The Art was sold
to Cyrus Teed (Koreshans) by his
son Douglas in 1905 for $4,000,
but Douglas settled for $2,000
equivalent to $60,000 today.
Please see more art by D.A. Teed

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