{"product_id":"the-allure-of-immortality-an-american-cult-a-florida-swamp-and-a-renegade-prophet-9780813080291","title":"The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp, and a Renegade Prophet","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWall Street Journal's Five Best Books About Cults\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe true story of cult leader Cyrus Teed and his hollow earth theory\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor five days in December 1908 the body of Cyrus Teed lay in a bathtub at a beach house just south of Fort Myers, Florida. His followers, the Koreshans, waited for signs that he was coming back to life. They watched hieroglyphics emerge on his skin and observed what looked like the formation of a third arm. They saw his belly fall and rise with breath, even though his swollen tongue sealed his mouth. As his corpse turned black, they declared that their leader was transforming into the Egyptian god Horus. Teed was a charismatic and controversial guru who at the age of 30 had been \"illuminated\" by an angel in his electro-alchemical laboratory. At the turn of the twentieth century, surrounded by the marvels of the Second Industrial Revolution, he proclaimed himself a prophet and led 200 people out of Chicago and into a new age. Or so he promised.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Koreshans settled in a mosquito-infested scrubland and set to building a communal utopia inside what they believed was a hollow earth--with humans living on the inside crust and the entire universe contained within. According to Teed's socialist and millennialist teachings, if his people practiced celibacy and focused their love on him, he would return after death and they would all become immortal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWas Teed a visionary or villain, savior or two-bit\u003cbr\u003echarlatan? Why did his promises and his theory of \"cellular\u003cbr\u003ecosmogony\" persuade so many? This edition of \u003ci\u003eThe Allure of\u003cbr\u003eImmortality\u003c\/i\u003e includes a preface with new information on how the teachings of\u003cbr\u003eCyrus Teed impacted David Koresh, apocalyptic leader of the Waco Branch\u003cbr\u003eDavidians. In this book\u003ci\u003e, \u003c\/i\u003e Lyn Millner weaves the many bizarre\u003cbr\u003estrands of Teed's life and those of his followers into a riveting story of\u003cbr\u003eangels, conmen, angry husbands, yellow journalism, and ultimately, hope.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=AUTH-9508184\"\u003eLyn Millner\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Press of Florida\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 02\/07\/2023\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 358\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.21lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.21h x 6.14w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780813080291\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0813080290\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC Categories:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-BIO\"\u003eBiography \u0026amp; Autobiography\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-BIO006000\"\u003eHistorical\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-REL\"\u003eReligion\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-REL020000\"\u003eCults\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=CAT-HIS\"\u003eHistory\u003c\/a\u003e | \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/sureshotbooks-com.myshopify.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage\u0026amp;q=BISAC-HIS036060\"\u003eUnited States | 20th Century\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"University Press of Florida","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44520269021421,"sku":"9780813080291","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/8097\/6621\/products\/img_64b37510-4be8-4a05-87ad-dfd2bda38848.jpg?v=1701273076","url":"https:\/\/sureshotbooks.com\/products\/the-allure-of-immortality-an-american-cult-a-florida-swamp-and-a-renegade-prophet-9780813080291","provider":"SureShot Books Publishing LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}