Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

First published in 1880, “Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ” by Lew Wallace is considered one of the most important and influential Christian novels of the nineteenth-century. The novel follows much of the life of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem living in the time of Christ. Wallace intertwines the lives of Judah and Jesus of Nazareth, beginning the novel with the events of the Nativity and later following the downfall and ensuing hardships of Judah’s life as a Roman slave, charioteer, and later, a convert to Christianity. The events depicted in the Gospels of the New Testament concerning Jesus are carefully threaded throughout Judah’s story, ultimately finding both Jesus and Judah at the Crucifixion, though in different capacities. The incredible historical spectacle that is Judah of the House of Hur’s life is a demonstration of fortitude and conviction, a classic story of redemption for the whole family. “Ben-Hur” was an immediate success upon its publication and was the first novel to ever be blessed by a pope. Wallace wrote this remarkable epic work as an inspiration of faith, and it became one of the most popular and enduring American novels of the nineteenth century.