author
Berwick-upon-Tweed Vicar of St. Mary's James King
A 19th-century Church of England clergyman, he wrote lively popular works that connect biblical history with archaeology and the ancient world. His best-known books explore Jerusalem's Temple Hill and the London obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle.
1 Audiobook
Cleopatra's Needle A History of the London Obelisk, with an Exposition of the Hieroglyphics
by Berwick-upon-Tweed Vicar of St. Mary's James King
About the author
An Anglican clergyman identified in his books as the vicar of St. Mary's, Berwick-upon-Tweed, James King wrote for general readers who were curious about the Bible, history, and archaeology. His work appeared in the late nineteenth century, when discoveries in Egypt and the Holy Land were stirring wide public interest.
His best-known titles include Cleopatra's Needle: A History of the London Obelisk, with an Exposition of the Hieroglyphics (1883) and Recent Discoveries on the Temple Hill at Jerusalem (published in multiple editions). These books present historical and archaeological subjects in an accessible way, showing his interest in linking religious learning with the latest research of his time.
Reliable biographical detail about his life beyond his clerical role and authorship is limited in the sources available here, so a fuller personal sketch is hard to confirm. Even so, his surviving books clearly show a writer eager to make ancient monuments, inscriptions, and sacred places vivid for ordinary readers.