The Acetic Elements Of Daily Life In Ephrata's Life

Some of the most memorable aspects of Ephrata’s story are the acetic elements of the daily life practiced by the Solitary. White robes, merger diets, austere sleeping conditions—these still leave a memorable impression in the mind of visitors more than two centuries after they were first observed. These were some of the community’s attributes leading early visitors to apply the commonly understood name cloister to the settlement. One of the first visitors to Ephrata in 1736 commented, “They hold midnight assemblies, eat, drink and sleep little, and are quite wasted away by fasting. I fear they will soon grow weary of these severe practices." Another forty years passed after this before the harsh elements of the Ephrata’s lifestyle began

Die Rose, a book of rules governing the Sisterhood, provides a regimented schedule with specific hours for work and private prayer, imitating monastic schedules followed by Catholic orders. No written schedule survives for the Brotherhood however, their day may have been very similar to the one prescribed for the Sisters. The daily routine in Die Rose may reflect an ideal rather than actual practice. Ephrata was no exception in the agrarian society dominating colonial America. This meant the natural rhythms of the sun and the seasons often dedicated the start and end of the workday, and many times the work itself. This was certainly the practice for the Householders who occupied their own homes outside the settlement. Consonant parts of Ephrata’s days were the hours of private meditation. Prayer, considered a personal communication with God, permitted no public prayers, as these could not apply to each person. Hours for private meditation at rising, mid-morning, noon, and late afternoon offered individuals time for direct communication with God. The sequestered hours also offered time for reading, Bible study, and writing music and