Editing New Israelites (section)

==History==
[[Nathaniel Wood (occultist)|Nathaniel Wood]] formed the New Israelites in [[Middletown Springs, Vermont|Middletown]], [[Rutland County, Vermont|Rutland County]], [[Vermont]] at the end of the 1790s. Originally a [[Congregationalist churches|Congregationalist]], Wood was excommunicated in 1789, after which he began to preach to small meetings whose attendees were mostly family and relatives. The sect may have been influenced by the Newent Separates of Norwich, who believed in perfectionist immortalism and [[polygamy|spiritual wifery]], and the preaching of Rev. Joel Benedict, who taught that Hebrew was the [[divine language|angelic tongue]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|pp=57–8}}.</ref>

The sect claimed literal descent from the [[Ten Lost Tribes]] of [[Israel]], and they practiced [[divination]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Quinn|1998|pp=121–24, 449}}; {{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|pp=57, 133–34}}; {{Harvnb|Vogel|2004|pp=617–20}}.</ref> After the sect was joined by a [[counterfeiting|counterfeiter]] and treasure seer named "Winchell" (probably Justus Winchell<ref>Quinn argues that the Winchell referred to is Justus Winchell, born 1755. {{Harv|Quinn|1998|p=124}}. Another possibility could be his first cousin Nathaniel Winchell.</ref>) in the spring or early summer of 1800, the New Israelites began [[dowsing]] to look for buried treasure in [[Middletown Springs, Vermont|Middletown]] and [[Rutland (city), Vermont|Rutland, Vermont]]. They also embarked on the construction of a temple. The group employed the [[divining rod]] for both [[treasure hunting]] and other forms of revelation. It was suspected that these efforts masked a [[counterfeiting]] operation. Wood predicted the arrival of a "Destroying Angel" on 14 January 1802 that would bring down plagues and earthquakes upon the "gentiles."

On 14 January 1802, the day that Wood said would be the commencement of the [[Apocalypse]], as the sect gathered together to await the arrival of the "destroying angel", the locals were so alarmed that on the night in question the [[militia]] was called out. The militia then fired their weapons to disperse this "Fraternity of Rodsmen".<ref>({{Harvnb|Quinn|1998|pp=121, 449}}; {{Harvnb|Brooke|1994|pp=57, 133–34}}; {{Harvnb|Vogel|2004|pp=617–20}}.</ref> This event was subsequently known as the "Wood Scrape." After the Wood Scrape, Wood and his family moved to [[Ellisburg (town), New York|Ellisburg, New York]], and the sect became extinct.