3The Kybalion was first published in 1908. Purportedly based upon ancient Hermeticism, its philosophies, in conjunction with others, have become founding pillars within the New Thought movement of the early 1910s. The book early on makes the claim that it makes its appearance in one's life when the time is appropriate and includes axioms and insights similar to those found in the Book of Proverbs. The "Three Initiates" who authored The Kybalion chose to remain anonymous. As a result, a great deal of speculation has been made about who actually wrote the book. The most common proposal is that The Kybalion was authored by William Walker Atkinson, either alone or with others, such as Paul Foster Case and Elias Gewurz.