Conrad Beissel

Defunct groups Johann Conrad Beissel (March 1, 1691 – July 6, 1768) was a German-born religious leader who in 1732 founded the Ephrata Community in the Province of Pennsylvania.

Each member adopted a new name, and Beissel was called Friedsam, to which the community afterward added the title of Gottrecht.

After Beissel's death and the disruption of the war years of the American Revolution, the utopian community declined in population.

The entire Ephrata community reportedly abstained from meat eating, which Beissel considered spiritually undesirable.

[4] Beissel invented a vegan diet for the Ephrata community that excluded all meat, dairy, eggs and honey.