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1.  https://sports.yahoo.com/waco-david-koresh-branch-davidians-174546102.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGXdV8QgoN2umo_P7zrVb0UI6rY1_-mJD9Pkyz1c1_RuFAqL6i1oh3IuLs2D2CrTsmLWs82tmnrSvjaWH0227U3ZC-6djMjxMqm08VbgGfKf85kkQ8y4cyME9YRhglVfYqa8aMsUMiNkq4axRo7_buNmAA8buInlIX3jv1ofLyGf#:~:text=At%20the%20core%20of%20their,Mount%20Carmel%2C%20established%20by%20Houteff.

2.  https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/david-koresh

3. https://abcnews.go.com/US/david-koresh-followers-describe-life-inside-apocalyptic-religious/story?id=52033937

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David Koresh and many members of his religious group, the Branch Davidians, which are at the center of Paramount Network's Waco, now streaming on Netflix, famously met a tragic end in a standoff with the FBI in 1993. Though the group's compound - called Mount Carmel - was initially raided for firearms, the religious beliefs of the Branch Davidians became a hot-button story in the years following the event.

The Branch Davidians as a group started long before Koresh got involved. They started as just the Davidians back in the 1930s, according to Vox. They were a spinoff of the Seventh-Day Adventists, a religious group with beliefs based in Christianity. The Davidians were created by Bulgarian immigrant Victor Houteff, "who dissented from aspects of standard Seventh-Day Adventist theology," according to Vox. "Houteff believed that the Messiah prophesied in the biblical book of Isaiah was not Jesus, but was yet to come."

At the core of their beliefs, the Branch Davidians, an offshoot of the Davidians, believed the apocalypse was coming. And when Koresh (who was born Vernon Howell) ascended to lead the group, he claimed to be the messiah. He and the group lived in seclusion at Mount Carmel, established by Houteff. David Bunds, a former Davidian, told ABC News in 2018 that they lived the way they did to avoid the world. "One of the things about being a Branch-Davidian . . . was you're supposed to separate yourself from the world," Bunds said. "The world is the sins, the flesh, the desires of the world, and you're supposed to be spiritual." That also meant that the Branch Davidians were celibate - all except for Koresh, who procreated with his many "wives," of which he had upward of 20 at one point.

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Koresh believed in the Seven Seals from the Bible's Book of Revelation. The seals secure a document seen by John of Patmos in a vision, and their opening marks the second coming of Christ and the start of the apocalypse. As a self-proclaimed messiah, Koresh believed he and his group were preparing for this apocalypse. He believed he could open the book or scroll sealed with the seven seals and claimed he could speak to God, who told him that he and the Branch Davidians should prepare for the end of the world.

During the notorious standoff at Mount Carmel, depicted in Waco, Koresh tried to negotiate with the FBI and the ATF and said he was writing a manuscript interpreting the Seven Seals. He said that once he was finished, he and the Branch Davidians would surrender. However, the authorities raided the house before he could complete the document. One of the Branch Davidians, Ruth Riddle, managed to escape. She came out of the house with a copy of the manuscript's first installment, according to Newsweek. In it, Koresh reinforces his belief that he is the Lamb of God, there to usher in the apocalypse. And while the authorities may have seen Koresh as unstable, Newsweek reported that "two religious scholars who won Koresh's trust during the standoff have analyzed the manuscript, and say that far from the ravings of a madman, it is a serious exegesis, carefully organized and reasoned."

Koresh died in the siege at Mount Carmel, but there are still a few Branch Davidians around the world today. These days, though, the group remain incredibly low-key.

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Waco: This Is What David Koresh and the Branch Davidians Believed In

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David Koresh and many members of his religious group, the Branch Davidians, which are at the center of Paramount Network's Waco, now streaming on Netflix, famously met a tragic end in a standoff with the FBI in 1993.

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David Koresh knew that they would be visited by the US government some time and this is the reason they stockpiled weapons. The ATF raided the compound on February 28, 1993. This resulted in a 51-day standoff. The FBI was also involved. It was covered by national news networks. At the end of the 51 days, the compound was set on fire by one of the followers. Koresh shot himself and was found dead along with dozens of other Davidians.

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His teachings would change over the year because he would look for the next thing to shock and keep his followers. He also made sure everyone stayed isolated in the compound so they would not be influenced by the world. Women were not allowed to wear blouses, jewelry, or make-up. He told them where to sleep and what to eat. People were also disciplined there and you lived in fear. Kids were brought up in fear and felt as if they could not do anything right.

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They believed that the apocalypse was coming.  When Koresh became the leader he claimed to be the Messiah. They also believed that they needed to separate from the world.  The world is sin and there are desires and you are supposed to be spiritual. They were also supposed to all be celibate for Koresh.  Koresh believed in the Seven Seals of the Bible's Book of Revelation.  He believed that when he opened this he was able to talk with God. He said that God told him the apocalypse was coming and that they needed to prepare for it.

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In his early 20's he tried to be a  rock star but did not make it.  He later rejoined the Seventh-day Adventists but was kicked out because he did not agree with the leadership.  Then in the 1980s, he joined the Branch Davidians.  He got with one of the prophetesses named Lois Roden and had an affair.  Later on, he married a teenage Branch Davidian, Rachel Jones.  He would have three kids with her. After Roden died her son and Koresh fought over who would be the leader. He took over in 1990 and became the leader of the Davidians. He and his follower built a so-called "army of God". They stockpiled weapons for the apocalypse and lived in a compound.