Beth Sarim: Difference between revisions
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''Consolation'' condemned San Diego County officials for their refusal to grant a permit for Rutherford's burial at Beth Sarim or on a neighboring property named Beth Shan,<ref>Beth Shan was a 200 acre estate owned by the Watchtower Society about a mile and a half due east of Beth Sarim across the canyon in which Fairmont Avenue runs. {{cite journal|journal=San Diego Union|title=No Will Left By Rutherford, Says Secretary|date=February 18, 1942|url=http://cchasson.free.fr/deposit/doc/boyd-20001.jpg|page=B-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seanet.com/~raines/bethshan.html|title=Beth Shan -- The Watchtower's "House of Security"}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.equipresources.org/atf/cf/%7B9C4EE03A-F988-4091-84BD-F8E70A3B0215%7D/DJ566.pdf|title=Beth Shan and the Return of the Princes}}</ref> also owned by the Watchtower Society: |
''Consolation'' condemned San Diego County officials for their refusal to grant a permit for Rutherford's burial at Beth Sarim or on a neighboring property named Beth Shan,<ref>Beth Shan was a 200 acre estate owned by the Watchtower Society about a mile and a half due east of Beth Sarim across the canyon in which Fairmont Avenue runs. {{cite journal|journal=San Diego Union|title=No Will Left By Rutherford, Says Secretary|date=February 18, 1942|url=http://cchasson.free.fr/deposit/doc/boyd-20001.jpg|page=B-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seanet.com/~raines/bethshan.html|title=Beth Shan -- The Watchtower's "House of Security"}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.equipresources.org/atf/cf/%7B9C4EE03A-F988-4091-84BD-F8E70A3B0215%7D/DJ566.pdf|title=Beth Shan and the Return of the Princes}}</ref> also owned by the Watchtower Society: |
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{{quote|It was not the fate of the bones which they decided, but their own destiny. Nor is their blood on anyone else's head, because they were told three times that to fight against God, or to tamper with His servant's bones even, would bring upon them the condemnation of the Lord....So their responsibility is fixed, and they followed the course of Satan.}} |
{{quote|It was not the fate of the bones which they decided, but their own destiny. Nor is their blood on anyone else's head, because they were told three times that to fight against God, or to tamper with His servant's bones even, would bring upon them the condemnation of the Lord....So their responsibility is fixed, and they followed the course of Satan.}} |
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After all appeals were exhausted, ''Consolation'' stated that Rutherford's remains were shipped to New York and he was buried there on April 25, 1942.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Consolation|title=San Diego's Officials Line Up Against Earth's New Princes|date=May 27, 1942|url=http://cchasson.free.fr/deposit/consolation/Consolation%20May%2027%201942.pdf|pages=9,14–16|publisher=Watchtower}}</ref> Speculation that Rutherford was secretly buried at Beth Sarim has been called "private rumor", 'frequently disproven', and "myth".<ref>{{cite book|title=Witnesses of Jehovah|author=Leonard & Marjorie Chretien|publisher=Harvest House|year=1988|pages=49|url=http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/downloads/1988_Witnesses_of_Jehovah_Searchable.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/jun/28/famous-dead-neighbors-in-san-diego-plus-my-brunch-/|title=San Diego Reader|date=June 28, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Cemeteries of San Diego|author=Mallios et al.|year=2007|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|pages=112|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-hNx2HsGxxgC&pg=PA103&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0&sig=ACfU3U1gfJf6Y8vONJwp6s2o0ElLXSa3cQ#PPA112,M1}}</ref> The May 4, 1942 issue of [[Time magazine]] noted Rutherford's burial at [[Rossville, New York]], on [[Staten Island]];<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Time|title=Buried|date=May 4, 1942|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,777771,00.html}}</ref> a private burial plot for Watch Tower branch volunteers is on Woodrow Road.<ref>"Announcements", ''The Watchtower'', October 1, 1966, page 608</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Van Amburgh|first=W. E. |others=An enlarged replica of the International Bible Students Association's original 1924 book|title=The way to paradise|publisher=Lulu.com|date=2005|pages=45, 46|isbn=1-4116-5971-6|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=9FkQjyYfsZAC&pg=RA1-PA45&lpg=RA1-PA45&dq=%22Joseph+Franklin+Rutherford%22+buried+Woodrow&source=bl&ots=2yc2j1FHAa&sig=Jy5UEhrtj4h47QcoTHNuBZir5vs&hl=en&ei=tOxZStajF8WntgewpqndCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result|accessdate=2009-07-12}}</ref> |
After all appeals were exhausted, ''Consolation'' stated that Rutherford's remains were shipped to New York and he was buried there on April 25, 1942.<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Consolation|title=San Diego's Officials Line Up Against Earth's New Princes|date=May 27, 1942|url=http://cchasson.free.fr/deposit/consolation/Consolation%20May%2027%201942.pdf|pages=9,14–16|publisher=Watchtower}}</ref> Speculation that Rutherford was secretly buried at Beth Sarim has been called "private rumor", 'frequently disproven', and "myth".<ref>{{cite book|title=Witnesses of Jehovah|author=Leonard & Marjorie Chretien|publisher=Harvest House|year=1988|pages=49|url=http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/downloads/1988_Witnesses_of_Jehovah_Searchable.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/jun/28/famous-dead-neighbors-in-san-diego-plus-my-brunch-/|title=San Diego Reader|date=June 28, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Cemeteries of San Diego|author=Mallios et al.|year=2007|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|pages=112|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=-hNx2HsGxxgC&pg=PA103&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0&sig=ACfU3U1gfJf6Y8vONJwp6s2o0ElLXSa3cQ#PPA112,M1}}</ref> The May 4, 1942 issue of [[Time magazine]] noted Rutherford's burial at [[Rossville, New York]], on [[Staten Island]];<ref>{{cite journal|journal=Time|title=Buried|date=May 4, 1942|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,777771,00.html}}</ref> a private burial plot for Watch Tower branch volunteers is on Woodrow Road.<ref>"Announcements", ''The Watchtower'', October 1, 1966, page 608</ref> The right location, nevertheless, cannot be ascertained; in 2002, a caretaker at the immediately adjoining graveyard answered an inquiry about Watch Tower's graveyard by noting "I couldn't tell you who is buried on it because it has absolutely no markers or headstones".<ref>{{cite book|last=Van Amburgh|first=W. E. |others=An enlarged replica of the International Bible Students Association's original 1924 book|title=The way to paradise|publisher=Lulu.com|date=2005|pages=45, 46|isbn=1-4116-5971-6|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=9FkQjyYfsZAC&pg=RA1-PA45&lpg=RA1-PA45&dq=%22Joseph+Franklin+Rutherford%22+buried+Woodrow&source=bl&ots=2yc2j1FHAa&sig=Jy5UEhrtj4h47QcoTHNuBZir5vs&hl=en&ei=tOxZStajF8WntgewpqndCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result|accessdate=2009-07-12}}</ref> |
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==Sale of property== |
==Sale of property== |
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Revision as of 21:24, 18 February 2010
32°46′16.36″N 117°05′56.70″W / 32.7712111°N 117.0990833°W
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Beth Sarim (Hebrew for 'House of the Princes') was a ten-bedroom mansion in San Diego, California, constructed in 1929 in anticipation of various resurrected Old Testament biblical patriarchs or prophets such as Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah and Samuel. It was maintained by the Watch Tower Society, the parent organization used by Jehovah's Witnesses, and was also used as a winter home and executive office for Watch Tower president Joseph Franklin Rutherford (also known as "Judge Rutherford").
Background, construction and purpose
In 1918, Watch Tower publications began predicting, under the direction of Rutherford, that Old Testament patriarchs or "princes" would be resurrected back to earthly life in 1925. It was taught that these "princes" would become earth's new leaders and that their resurrection would be a prelude to the inauguration of a new earthly society and the abolition of death.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] (It had previously been taught that these individuals were to be raised shortly after 1914.[8][9]) These "princes" would use Jerusalem as their capital, with some of the "princes" being located in other "principal parts of the earth."[10] Despite the failure of this prediction, Rutherford continued to preach their imminent return.[11]
During this time, Rutherford spent winters in San Diego, California, for health reasons,[12] and "in time, a direct contribution was made for the purpose of constructing a house in San Diego for brother Rutherford's use."[13] The property was purchased in 1926 and the house was built in 1929. Rutherford named the property Beth Sarim and dedicated it for the use of the expected Old Testament "princes," who were now expected to be headquartered in San Diego instead of Jerusalem.[14][15] The deed for Beth Sarim, written by Rutherford, said that the property was to be held "perpetually in trust" for the Old Testament "princes" and was to be surrendered to them once they arrived.[16][17] It was located in the Kensington Heights section of San Diego over an area of about 100 acres (0.40 km2), and was purposely landscaped with olive, date, and palm trees so that the "princes" would "feel at home."[18] The residence, designed by noted San Diego architect Richard S. Requa, was a ten-bedroom Spanish mansion with over 5,100 square feet (470 m2) and an adjacent two-car garage.[19][20][21] The building costs at the time were about $25,000.[22] Writing in the book Salvation in 1939, Rutherford explained that Beth Sarim would forever be used by the resurrected "princes":[23]
The purpose of acquiring this property and building the house is that there are those on earth today who fully believe in God and Christ Jesus and in His Kingdom, and who believe that the faithful men of old will soon be resurrected by the Lord, be back on earth, and take charge of the visible affairs of earth. The title to Beth Sarim is vested in the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in trust, to be used by the president of the Society and his assistants for the present, and thereafter to be forever at the disposal of the aforementioned princes on the earth. To be sure, everything then on the earth will belong to the Lord, and neither the Lord nor the princes need others to build houses for them; but it was thought well and pleasing to God that the aforementioned house be built as a testimony to the name of Jehovah and showing faith in his announced purposes. The house has served as a testimony to many persons throughout the earth, and while the unbelievers have mocked concerning it and spoken contemptuously of it, yet it stands there as a testimony to Jehovah's name; and when the princes do return, and some of them occupy the property, such will be a confirmation of the faith and hope that induced the building of Beth Sarim.
Occupation
Rutherford moved into Beth Sarim in early 1930 and served as caretaker of the property awaiting the resurrection of the "princes". Newspapers of the time reported on Rutherford's lavish lifestyle, which included a 16-cylinder Fisher Fleetwood Cadillac coupe.[24][25][26] The residence was cited by Olin R. Moyle, former legal counsel for Jehovah's Witnesses, in a letter to Rutherford in 1939, as one of the examples of "the difference between the accommodations furnished to you, and your personal attendants, compared with those furnished to some of your brethren."[27][28] Walter F. Salter, former manager of the Canadian branch of the Watch Tower Society, also criticized Rutherford's use of Beth Sarim.[29][30] A reply to Salter's criticisms of Rutherford was published in the May 2, 1937 Golden Age, with a photocopy of a letter from W.E. Van Amburgh, Secretary-Treasurer of the Watch Tower Society, stating:[31]
Not one cent of the funds of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society went into the construction of the home in San Diego where Judge Rutherford does his winter work. It was the gift of friends. I did not know of the existence of the house until I read of it in The Golden Age. Not one cent of the funds of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society went into either of the Cadillac cars used by Rutherford at San Diego and Brooklyn. They were the gift of friends.
The magazine Consolation (successor to The Golden Age) explained how Beth Sarim served as Rutherford's winter headquarters:
"For twelve winters Judge Rutherford and his office force occupied Beth Sarim. It was not used as a place of ease or vacationing, but was used as a winter workshop; the books from Vindication, Book One down to and including Children were written there, as well as many Watchtower articles and booklets. The executive instructions for branches all over the earth also were transmitted from Beth-Sarim during the Judge's presence there. At Beth Sarim, Judge Rutherford completed the 1942 Yearbook material as his last work before his death. He dictated this material from his dying bed."[32]
Rutherford's burial
Rutherford died at Beth Sarim on January 8, 1942 at the age of 72.[33][34] After his death, Rutherford's burial was delayed for three and a half months due to legal proceedings arising from his desire to be buried at Beth Sarim, which he had previously expressed to three close advisers from Brooklyn headquarters.[35][36] Watchtower attorney Hayden C. Covington explained his role in the lawsuit: "I filed a lawsuit then in the courts out there in San Diego to force them to let us bury him out there on that property. Judge Mundo, who was the judge of the Superior Court, heard it and passed the buck, jumping from one thing to another, from one technicality to another, and finally after looking at the matter in a reasonable way Bill, Bonnie, and Nathan and all of us decided that we have fought enough on this and it looks like its the Lord's will that we take his body back to Brooklyn, and have him buried in Staten Island, which we did."[37] Witnesses collected over 14,000 signatures on a petition that Rutherford's dying wish might be granted. The May 27, 1942 Consolation explained:
As early as 1920 Judge Rutherford pointed out that the ancient witnesses or princes were promised an earthly resurrection by the Lord. In that year he delivered a public address at Los Angeles, California, entitled 'Millions Now Living Will Never Die,' in which he called attention to the expectations of the return of the men above mentioned. All the publications since emphasize the same fact. It therefore appears that the return of the princes is a fundamental teaching of the Scriptures. It is as certain as the truth of God's Word. Judge Rutherford gave much of his life in endeavoring to bring this vital matter to the people's attention. What, then, could be more fitting and appropriate before God and before men that his bones should rest on the land held in trust for the men whose coming he was privileged to announce.
Consolation condemned San Diego County officials for their refusal to grant a permit for Rutherford's burial at Beth Sarim or on a neighboring property named Beth Shan,[38][39][40] also owned by the Watchtower Society:
It was not the fate of the bones which they decided, but their own destiny. Nor is their blood on anyone else's head, because they were told three times that to fight against God, or to tamper with His servant's bones even, would bring upon them the condemnation of the Lord....So their responsibility is fixed, and they followed the course of Satan.
After all appeals were exhausted, Consolation stated that Rutherford's remains were shipped to New York and he was buried there on April 25, 1942.[41] Speculation that Rutherford was secretly buried at Beth Sarim has been called "private rumor", 'frequently disproven', and "myth".[42][43][44] The May 4, 1942 issue of Time magazine noted Rutherford's burial at Rossville, New York, on Staten Island;[45] a private burial plot for Watch Tower branch volunteers is on Woodrow Road.[46] The right location, nevertheless, cannot be ascertained; in 2002, a caretaker at the immediately adjoining graveyard answered an inquiry about Watch Tower's graveyard by noting "I couldn't tell you who is buried on it because it has absolutely no markers or headstones".[47]
Sale of property
After Rutherford's death, the Watchtower Society maintained Beth Sarim for a few years,[48] before selling the property in 1948.[49] The belief that the "princes" would be resurrected before Armageddon was abandoned in 1950.[50][51][52][53] In 1954, when asked at a trial in Scotland why the property was sold, Watch Tower spokesman Frederick William Franz explained:[54]
Because it was there, and the prophets had not yet come back to occupy it, to make use of it, and the Society had no use for it at the time, it was in charge of a caretaker, and it was causing expense, and our understanding of the Scriptures opened up more, and more concerning the Princes, which will include those prophets, and so the property was sold as serving no present purpose.
The house is now under private ownership and has been designated Historical Landmark number 474 by the City of San Diego.[55]
See also
References
- ^ "Questions Concerning Ezekiel's Temple". Watchtower: 6279. June 15, 1918.
- ^ J.F. Rutherford (1920). Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Watchtower. pp. 89–90. PDF version
- ^ W.E. Van Amburgh (1924). The Way to Paradise (PDF). Watchtower. pp. 215–224.
- ^ W.E. Van Amburgh (December 31, 1924). "A Bible For the Scientist" (PDF). Golden Age: 220–222.
- ^ J.F. Rutherford (1925). Comfort For the People (PDF). Watchtower. pp. 1, 9, 39.
- ^ "New Date For Millennium: Russellites Now See It Coming on Earth in 1925". New York Times. June 2, 1919.
- ^ ""End of the World" Prophesied for 1925". Argus (Melbourne, Australia). October 30, 1920.News Clippings from the "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" Campaign (1919-1925)
- ^ "The Rank of the Ancient Worthies" (PDF). Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence: 313. October 15, 1904.
- ^ "A Father's Letter to His Son" (PDF). Watch Tower: 264. September 1, 1908.
- ^ J.F. Rutherford (1924). A Desirable Government (PDF). Watchtower. p. 30.
The [prince] in authority at Jerusalem will give direction as to the carrying out of governmental affairs in different parts of the earth. With great improved broadcasting stations we can expect Abraham from Mount Zion to direct the affairs of the whole earth.
- ^ J.F. Rutherford (1932). What You Need (PDF). Watchtower. pp. 8–10.
This prophecy shows, therefore, that Christ the King will make those faithful men the princes or visible rulers in all the earth. That means that soon you may expect to see Abraham, Enoch, Moses, David and all of these other faithful men back on earth.
- ^ Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower. 1993. p. 76.
- ^ 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Watchtower. 1974. p. 194.
- ^ Edmond C. Gruss (1970). Apostles of Denial (PDF). Presbyterian & Reformed. p. 226.
[Beth-Sarim was built] to give sagging hopes for the princes' return a boost.
- ^ "Beth-Sarim -- Much Talked About House" (PDF). The Messenger. Watchtower: 6, 8. July 25, 1931.
- ^ "Beth Sarim Deed" (PDF). The Golden Age: 404–407. March 19, 1930.
- ^ Scan of deed from Golden Age: page 1, page 2
- ^ "California Cults". Time: 60. March 31, 1930. Scan of original Time article
- ^ Jerome Beatty (November, 1940). "Peddlars of Paradise" (PDF). The American: 54.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Stanley High (September 14, 1940). "Armageddon, Inc" (PDF). The Saturday Evening Post: 52.
- ^ Gruss & Chretien. "Beth Sarim: A Monument to a False Prophet and to False Prophecy" (PDF). See [1] for Requa's contribution to architecture in California.
- ^ Edmond C. Gruss (2001). Jehovah's Witnesses: Their Claims, Doctrinal Changes and Prophetic Speculation. Xulon Press. p. 216.
- ^ J.F. Rutherford (1939). Watchtower. pp. 311–312 http://www.strictlygenteel.co.uk/salvation/salvation6.html.
{{cite book}}: Missing or empty|title=(help); Text "Salvation" ignored (help). See also The New World (PDF). Watchtower. 1942. pp. 104–105. - ^ "The San Diego Sun". March 15, 1930, January 9, 1931.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Leonard & Marjorie Chretien (1988). Witnesses of Jehovah (PDF). Harvest House. p. 45.
To place the value of this automobile in perspective, a new Ford in 1931 cost approximately 600 dollars. A 16-cylinder Cadillac cost between 5400 and 9200 dollars, depending on style.
- ^ "Judge Awaits Next Coming of King David" (PDF). Syracuse Herald Journal. March 23, 1930.
- ^ "Olin R. Moyle's Letter to J.F. Rutherford" (PDF).
- ^ Tony Wills (2007). A People For His Name: A History of Jehovah's Witnesses and an Evaluation. Lulu.com. pp. 202–204.
- ^ M. James Penton (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. University of Toronto Press. pp. 73–75.
- ^ "W.F. Salter's Letter to J.F. Rutherford" (PDF).
- ^ "Why Salter Lost His Job" (PDF). The Golden Age. Watchtower: 499. May 2, 1937.
- ^ "San Diego's Officials Line Up Against Earth's New Princes" (PDF). Consolation. Watchtower: 5–6. May 27, 1942.
- ^ Watchtower (1961). Let Your Name Be Sanctified. pp. 335–336.
- ^ "Witness Sect Founder Dies". St Petersburg Times. January 11, 1942.
- ^ Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. p. 90.
- ^ "Witnesses Ask Right To Bury Leader". The Evening Independent (St Petersburg, Florida): 18. January 26, 1942.
- ^ Mp3 of Interview with Hayden C. Covington on November 19, 1978 Text of Interview
- ^ Beth Shan was a 200 acre estate owned by the Watchtower Society about a mile and a half due east of Beth Sarim across the canyon in which Fairmont Avenue runs. "No Will Left By Rutherford, Says Secretary". San Diego Union: B-7. February 18, 1942.
- ^ "Beth Shan -- The Watchtower's "House of Security"".
- ^ "Beth Shan and the Return of the Princes" (PDF).
- ^ "San Diego's Officials Line Up Against Earth's New Princes" (PDF). Consolation. Watchtower: 9, 14–16. May 27, 1942.
- ^ Leonard & Marjorie Chretien (1988). Witnesses of Jehovah (PDF). Harvest House. p. 49.
- ^ "San Diego Reader". June 28, 2008.
- ^ Mallios; et al. (2007). Cemeteries of San Diego. Arcadia Publishing. p. 112.
{{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in:|author=(help) - ^ "Buried". Time. May 4, 1942.
- ^ "Announcements", The Watchtower, October 1, 1966, page 608
- ^ Van Amburgh, W. E. (2005). The way to paradise. An enlarged replica of the International Bible Students Association's original 1924 book. Lulu.com. pp. 45, 46. ISBN 1-4116-5971-6. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
- ^ Bill Davidson (November 22, 1946). "Jehovah's Traveling Salesmen" (PDF). Colliers: 75.
- ^ Beth-Sarim, House of Princes
- ^ Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom. Watchtower. 1993. p. 76.
At the time, it was believed that faithful men of old times, such as Abraham, Joseph, and David, would be resurrected before the end of this system of things and would serve as 'princes in all the earth,' in fulfillment of Psalm 45:16. This view was adjusted in 1950, when further study of the Scriptures indicated that those earthly forefathers of Jesus Christ would be resurrected after Armageddon.
- ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose (PDF). Watchtower. 1959. pp. 252–253.
- ^ For reactions to the announcement of the change of belief, see "The 'Princes' Are Here" in 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. Watchtower. 1974. pp. 213–214.
- ^ Barbara Grizzuti Harrison (1978). Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses. Simon & Schuster. pp. 180–181, 269–270.
- ^ "Douglas Walsh vs. The Right Honorable James Latham Clyde, M. P. C." (PDF).
- ^ "Historical Landmarks Designated by the San Diego Historical Resources Board" (PDF).
