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In 1993, on a patch of quiet Texas land outside Waco, a man who called himself the final prophet of God was preparing for the end of the world.

Before the fire. Before the tanks. Before the siege became a symbol.

David Koresh — born Vernon Wayne Howell — rose from obscurity to lead a small apocalyptic sect known as the Branch Davidians. Charismatic, intense, and obsessed with the Book of Revelation, Koresh convinced his followers that he alone could unlock the Seven Seals and usher in the final days. Inside the Mount Carmel compound, he claimed divine authority — not just spiritually, but personally.

He took “spiritual wives.” Married couples were separated. Teenage girls were reassigned to him under the belief they were helping fulfill prophecy. Former members would later allege sexual relationships with underage girls, all justified through scripture. Parents inside the group believed they were obeying God.

Meanwhile, federal agents were watching.

An ATF investigation into alleged illegal weapons modifications was building. An undercover agent infiltrated the compound. A newspaper exposé titled “The Sinful Messiah” hit the stands. And on February 28, 1993, 76 federal agents rolled toward Mount Carmel in cattle trailers, expecting to serve a warrant.

Within minutes, gunfire erupted.

Four ATF agents would be dead. Six Davidians would die that morning. And what was meant to be a single-day operation would spiral into something far larger.

In Part One, we lay the groundwork — the rise of Koresh, the psychology inside the compound, the warnings that were ignored, and the raid that changed everything.

The siege has only just begun.