House of David (commune)

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The House of David (formally The Israelite House of David) is a Christian Israelite religious organization and commune founded in Benton Harbor, Michigan, in March 1903. It was co-founded by spouses Benjamin Purnell (1861–1927) and Mary Purnell (1862–1953). The Purnells claimed to be the successors to Joanna Southcott (1750–1814), a self-proclaimed prophetess who attracted a sizeable following in England during the last decade of the eighteenth century. The House of David flourished in the 1900s and 1910s, but faced serious crises and legal scandals in the 1920s. Following Benjamin Purnell's death in 1927, a power struggle ensued over who would lead the movement, resulting in a schism and the commune splitting into two independent organizations in 1930: the original Israelite House of David, and, a breakaway group, the Israelite House of David as Reorganized by Mary Purnell, also known as Mary's City of David. Both groups are still active, although only a handful of members remain. The...

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