Georg David Hardegg

Unperturbed by the negative and damning opinion of Samuel Gobat, the Evangelical Bishop of Jerusalem, Hoffmann and his committee sent him a letter clearly stating their intention of building a community based on Biblical teachings and enclosing their document, Constitution of God's People.

[3] As opposition from the clergy mounted, the Friends of Jerusalem decided to put together plans for a feasibility study to Palestine, as well as setting up a community at home where they could prepare spiritually, physically and mentally for their mission.

They chose the Kirschenhardthof, close to Ludwigsberg, and at one time part of a large estate in Hochberg, although shortly after their arrival in 1856, a typhoid epidemic devastated several families during the following spring.

It was during this period that they made the decision to rename themselves the Temple Society, and with mounting funds and letters of support coming from as far away as the United States of America, they were able to plan a feasibility trip to Palestine.

On February 8, 1858, Hardegg, Hoffmann and the agriculturist J. Bubeck, set out on their journey across Europe,[2] landing in Jaffa on 14 March 1858, and visiting Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Beersheba, Nablus, Nazareth, Acre, Haifa, and Tiberius before returning home.

By this time his powerful personality and strong opinions were already causing an uneasy atmosphere, despite which his partner, Hoffmann, managed to keep a positive focus on their main aim, which was to settle in Palestine, writing, “I had set foot in the land that was to be my home.

The land we fervently hoped would be the centre of the world's universal religion: The salvation of all mankind.”[4] Following their return and a feedback meeting, some families withdrew from the project when they realised that moving to Palestine would take time to organise.

Differences of opinion between leaders of the community in regard to the main purpose of the Society also caused difficulties, Hardegg taking the view that emphasis should be on the spiritual aspect entirely, including miracles and healing, with their overarching mission being the rebuilding of the Holy Land, the reestablishment of the Temple in Jerusalem and the conversion of the Jews.

Having travelled through Germany, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgaria, and across the Black Sea, the party spent some time in Constantinople, where they unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a lease from the Turkish Government for land on Mount Carmel, in Haifa.

Hardegg and Hoffmann, along with their families, arrived in Haifa at the end of October 1868, and by the spring of 1869 not only had they had managed to acquire land for a settlement, but they had also been joined by a group of Templers who had unsuccessfully attempted to settle in Nazareth.

However, as Hardegg's overbearing personality caused escalating tension between the two leaders, Hoffmann decided to move south to Jaffa in order to create a second Templer settlement, eventually leading to new colonies in several other locations.

Attempts to establish vineyards on the slopes of Mount Carmel were unsuccessful, whilst a focus on trade and construction, especially transport for both people and goods, soon brought financial reward and eventually, a thriving tourist industry.

In June 1871 the Sentinel carried an article written by Jacob Schumacher, in which he mentioned the arrival in Palestine, two months before Hardegg and Hoffmann, of some Baháʼís who had been sent as prisoners to the ancient city of Acre, just across the bay from Haifa: "I can give notice of yet another spiritual phenomenon which can strengthen our belief.

In order to be more accurately informed, I sought an interview with the leader, Bahá'u'lláh, which may be translated as 'the Light or Illuminer of God'; his family name is Nuri, formerly large landowners in Persia.

[6] Meanwhile, life in the Templer colony in Haifa suffered tensions and divisions due to Hardegg's determination to carry out plans without consultation, as a result of which the Central Council in Germany withdrew their funding.