Could a man truly believe himself to be God, and could he convince others to follow him, even to the point of murder? The story of Hulon Mitchell Jr., who became known as Yahweh ben Yahweh, is a chilling example of the power of charisma and the dangers of cult leadership.
Born on October 27, 1935, in Kingfisher, Oklahoma, Mitchell, the son of a Pentecostal minister, would rise from humble beginnings to become a figure of immense controversy and, to his followers, divine reverence. His journey took him through various religious circles before he ultimately established the Nation of Yahweh, a black supremacist new religious movement, in Miami, Florida, in 1979. This organization, headquartered in Liberty City, attracted thousands of followers, but it also became associated with violence and criminal activity that would eventually lead to Mitchell's downfall.
| Yahweh ben Yahweh (Hulon Mitchell Jr.) - Biographical and Professional Information | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Hulon Mitchell Jr. (later known as Yahweh ben Yahweh) |
| Date of Birth | October 27, 1935 |
| Place of Birth | Kingfisher, Oklahoma, USA |
| Date of Death | May 7, 2007 |
| Place of Death | Miami, Florida, USA |
| Father | Hulon Mitchell Sr. (Minister in the Church of God in Christ) |
| Mother | Pearl O. Mitchell (ne Leatherman; Pianist in the Church of God in Christ) |
| Siblings | One of 15 children |
| Education | B.A. in Psychology from Phillips University, Enid, Oklahoma M.A. in Economics from Atlanta University (1965) |
| Military Service | Served in the U.S. Air Force after graduating high school |
| Religious Background | Raised in a Pentecostal Christian household; later associated with the Nation of Islam before founding the Nation of Yahweh. |
| Key Titles/Aliases | Hulon X, Father Michel, Brother Love, Moses Israel, Yahweh ben Yahweh, Yashua the Messiah, God |
| Nation of Yahweh | Founder and Leader (Founded in 1979 in Miami, Florida) |
| Beliefs/Doctrines | Black Hebrew Israelite movement, combined elements of Christianity and Judaism with black nationalism; claimed that African Americans were the true descendants of the ancient Israelites. |
| Legal Issues | Charged in 1990 with multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, racketeering, arson, and extortion; convicted on conspiracy charges in 1992. |
| Imprisonment | Served 11 years in prison before being paroled. |
| Reference Website | Southern Poverty Law Center - Nation of Yahweh |
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