What is the Jonestown death tape?

The "Jonestown death tape" refers to an eerie recording of Jim Jones, the leader of the Peoples Temple, speaking to his followers in Jonestown, Guyana, just before they committed mass suicide. This tape captures Jones using manipulative language to convince his followers that suicide was a revolutionary act, a form of protest against what he claimed were oppressive forces against their community. He described death as "the great translation" and insisted that it was a mere transition to the other side. The circumstances were far from voluntary for many, as refusal often meant death by murder rather than suicide. The tape is available publicly and is a chilling documentation of the cult's final moments 1.