Cave of Kelpius
Philadelphia, PA
Cave of Kelpius
777-795 Hermit Ln, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19128, USA(570) 718-6961
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Tucked away in a remote section of Philadelphias Fairmount Park, you'll find the'Kelpius Cave,' an enhanced cave built into the side of a hill, with a stone frame entrance marking whats believed to be the 17th century home of Americas first cult of mystics to predict the imminent apocalypse.
Although cynics suspect the structure is simply an old springhouse, tradition holds that this area along the banks of Wissahickon Creek was settled in 1694 by mystic and scholar Johannes Kelpius and his followers. Believing, based on elaborate interpretation of the Bibles'Book of Revelation,' that the world was going to end that year, the monks sought to live a solitary lifestyle in the wilderness while awaiting the End of Days and the Second Coming.
Although cynics suspect the structure is simply an old springhouse, tradition holds that this area along the banks of Wissahickon Creek was settled in 1694 by mystic and scholar Johannes Kelpius and his followers. Believing, based on elaborate interpretation of the Bibles'Book of Revelation,' that the world was going to end that year, the monks sought to live a solitary lifestyle in the wilderness while awaiting the End of Days and the Second Coming.