beth sarim

jurs

i've been reading up on beth sarim. once, when i was out in servive, a householder mentioned that Rutherford had lived in a mansion. i thought it was a lie that some evil apostate made up. the pioneer i was with thought the same. had any of you heard about beth sarim before leaving the organization? jurs

VeniceIT

Ya I remember it, and it was in the Proclaimers book, although there was quite the twist to it!!!
*

Ven

crossroads

Yes an Elder(THE) told my Dad and I about it. Sort
of made a joke about Rutherford must have been on
drugs or something. I don't think THE Elder knew
that Rutherford was a drunk though.

Jang

Actually it was the Beth Sarim issue that really got me doubting the organization.

At the beginning of 1975 an Seventh Day Adventist called on us and tried to convince me that the WTS was not God's organization and that Armageddon wouldn't come when they said. He shoed me the Salvation book where it said that the house had been built for the 'princes'. the big problem was that the day before I had got my 1975 yearbook ad had just read that they said the house had been built because of Rutherfords bad health. Which to believe. I had a copy of the Salvation book so I checked that and then the other books he told me about at the local KH library

Then this guy showed me how they had blamed the brethren for believing the 1925 prophecy and said that hwen Armageddon didn't come on schedule later that year they would have a good excuse again and then they would again blame the brethren.

I listened to the excuse at the District Assembley that November and walked out!

and they did just that ... blamed everyone else but themselves!

JanG
CAIC Website: http://caic.org.au/zjws.htm
Personal Webpage: http://uq.net.au/~zzjgroen/

GinnyTosken

Jurs,

I had not heard about it before I left the organization.

Did you happen to see Norm's post about Beth Sarim? He included the wording of the deed and an article telling how Rutherford reacted when someone showed up and claimed to be one of the patriarchs of old.

It's at: http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=6207&site=3

Ginny

larc

Yes I heard about it,

My Mmother's aunt was one of those who accompanyed Rutherford to Beth Sarim in the winter months. She was his "nuitritionist". Just think, all during the great depression the judge and his in-group lived in luxury, while the members barely got by.

They also owned an adjoining mansion called Beth Shan. It was purchased by William Boyd. William and his wife Bonny were Rutherford's private secretaries. William was a rich relative of the family that started the Coca Cola company.

Both Beth Sarim and Beth Shan had deeds that said that the property was being held in trust for the men of faith in the Old Testement named in Hebrews chapter eleven. All the names are written in the deeds.

Beth Shan had two bomb shelters, one in the house and one in an out building. Both bomb shelters were accecable by a hidden, secret entrance. The mansion was at the end of a long dirt road, with a gate at the entrance and guards on horse back protecting the property. It was built about ten years after Beth Sarim when the winds of World War II were stirring. The bomb shelters were probably built to protect the elite during the "great tribulation" that was going to occur. Both mansions were sold a few years after Rutherford died. My mother's aunt lived in the house until it was sold, along with others I assume.

I think it is clear why the Society does not want its members to read its own history.

Maximus

Permit a correction. It's not William Boyd. The last name is Heath, and he was always referred to as Bill Heath. Anyone doing research needs to know this--especially the Coca-Cola connection. Reminds me of COHI and Mighty Distributing's Dick Wallace, who fronted for lots of Society property purchases, so local residents, including those displaced, would not object.

As to your relative, are you speaking of Hazel B? I'm also curious if you got this material directly from professor Ed Gruss' books on the two properties--not many know about Beth-Shan. I haven't read them.

"Bad health." Guess who started the spin doctor stuff? There was absolutely no question to visitors what Beth Sarim was all about. You know, of course, it means "House of Princes" in Hebrew. Youngsters were bug-eyed upon being told, "King David is going to live in that room. And Moses will be right across the hall here." The plumbing was fabulous. The ancient worthies would have been stunned out of their wits at the opulence.

Maximus

freddi

jurs,
i never heard anything about this mansion. where can i find some more info about it. is there any documentation on rutherford being an alcoholic?
peace

SixofNine

Maximus,

I would love to hear more about what you alluded to in regards to Mighty/Dick Wallace.

I worked for a Mighty distributor for a few years. After I moved on, I would tell everyone I had written a book, "3 years a Mighty slave". Always got a chuckle with that one. Funny how everyone I ever said that to "got it".

GinnyTosken

SixofNine,

I worked for the Mighty corporate office in Norcross, Georgia in 1989. It was paradise. I'm sure you are just one of those bitter ex-franchisees who left because they were too lazy to hit the streets and sell auto parts.

Ginny

[Edited to fix the dadburn emoticon.]

beth sarim

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