Cultural Productions: Baseball, Music, and Tourism Perhaps the most public face of the House of David was its entertainment and sporting ventures, which served both economic and proselytizing purposes. The community’s baseball teams—famed for their long hair and beards, which members grew as religious observance—traveled nationwide from the 1910s through the 1930s playing against semi-pro and professional squads. These teams drew large crowds, not only for their athletic skill but also for their novelty and theatricality. Similarly, the colony developed musical ensembles and vaudeville-style acts that toured extensively, showcasing gospel songs, instrumental performance, and staged pageantry. In Benton Harbor itself, the community cultivated an amusement park and tourist attractions—zoo, baseball stadium, and orchards—that turned the colony into a destination and revenue source.
For decades, the "minimalists" argued that Jerusalem in the 10th Century BCE was a small village, incapable of ruling an empire. However, recent data from the Khirbet Qeiyafa excavation suggests a different story. The discovery of a fortified city, massive casemate walls, and a southern gate structure dated to the early 10th century BCE points to a centralized authority. house of david exclusive