The Gnostics and Their Remains

Charles William King’s work is an early, wide-ranging survey of Gnostic traditions, artifacts, and symbols, combining antiquarian scholarship with comparative religion. Historically important for helping shape modern interest in Gnosticism, it includes discussions of Gnostic doctrines, amulets, gems, legends, and the material remains associated with these groups.

Charles William King (1818–1888) was a British antiquarian and scholar of gems, coins, and antiquity whose writings contributed significantly to the study of ancient religion, Gnosticism, and magic. His works, especially on the Gnostics and on classical talismans and engraved stones, were influential in Victorian occult and esoteric scholarship.