ABSTRACT
Ephrata was the first in a line of many communes established in the New World. There had been several prior attempts in the English colonies of North America to establish independent collective communities, even communes. The first communal settlement which managed to survive and to leave its mark on the development of Ephrata was Bohemia Manor, a commune established in 1683 by the Labadists, a sect whose members came from Holland and other northwestern European countries. The commune chose the name Woman in the Wilderness because of their isolation while expecting the kingdom of heaven. Among those few who were determined to adhere to their aspirations of a life of purity in the New World was Johann Conrad Beissel, who in time would found the new commune of Ephrata. The outstanding feature of Ephrata's educational system was its musical activity, which was inspired by the importance of music in the community's life.
