Mount Carmel Center

New Mount Carmel Center was the name of the Branch Davidian home outside of Waco, Texas, United States, led by Benjamin Roden and later David Koresh. Named after the Biblical mountain in northern Israel, it was here that the Waco siege of 1993 occurred and the home burned, in which four ATF agents and 82 Branch Davidians were killed.EtymologySome news reports about the siege referred to it as the "Branch Davidian compound". The name derives from a particular verse from the Bible, on which the Branch Davidians base their beliefs:HistoryIn 1935, Davidian founder Victor Houteff established the original Davidian headquarters, Mount Carmel Center, near Lake Waco, west of the town. After Houteff's death, and according to his wishes, his widow Florence began selling off parcels of the land, as the neighboring city of Waco began to expand around the edges of the Mount Carmel Community. In 1957, she sold off the last of the property, and bought a 941acre property in the countryside northeast of Waco, christened New Mount Carmel. Today, Waco's Mt. Carmel Drive runs through the Old Mt. Carmel area, and nearby Charboneau and Hermanson Drives are named after key Davidian families.In 1962, Florence Houteff announced her intention to disband the Davidian organization, with the assets to be sold off and the proceeds disbursed among her Executive Council. This arrangement was opposed by many members. Most of the New Mt. Carmel property ended up in the hands of the Double EE Ranch, but the Branch Davidians retained a core 77.8 acres around the administrative building.