Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace, published by
Harper and Brothers on November 12, 1880 and considered "the most
influential Christian book of the nineteenth century". It became a
best-selling American novel, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle
Tom's Cabin (1852) in sales. The book also inspired other novels with
biblical settings and was adapted for the stage and motion picture
productions. Ben-Hur remained at the top of the US all-time bestseller
list until the publication of Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind
(1936). The 1959 MGM film adaptation of Ben-Hur is considered one of
the greatest films ever made and was seen by tens of millions, going
on to win a record 11 Academy Awards in 1960, after which the book's
sales increased and it surpassed Gone with the Wind. It was blessed by
Pope Leo XIII, the first novel ever to receive such an honour. The
success of the novel and its stage and film adaptations also helped it
to become a popular cultural icon that was used to promote numerous
commercial products.The story recounts the adventures of Judah
Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem, who is enslaved by the Romans
at the beginning of the first century and becomes a charioteer and a
Christian. Running in parallel with Judah's narrative is the unfolding
story of Jesus, from the same region and around the same age. The
novel reflects themes of betrayal, conviction, and redemption, with a
revenge plot that leads to a story of love and compassion.Ben-Hur is a
story of a fictional hero named Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman who
was falsely accused and convicted of an attempted assassination of the
Roman governor of Judaea and consequently enslaved by the Romans. He
becomes a successful charioteer. The story's revenge plot becomes a
story of compassion and forgiveness.The novel is divided into eight
books, or parts, each with its own subchapters. Book one opens with
the story of the three magi, who arrive in Bethlehem to hear the news
of Christ’s birth. Readers meet the fictional character of Judah for
the first time in book two, when his childhood friend Messala, also a
fictional character, returns to Jerusalem as an ambitious commanding
officer of the Roman legions. The teen-aged boys come to realize that
they have changed and hold very different views and aspirations. When
a loose tile is accidentally dislodged from the roof of Judah's house
during a military parade and strikes the Roman governor, knocking him
from his horse, Messala falsely accuses Judah of attempted
assassination. Although Judah is not guilty and receives no trial, he
is sent to the Roman galleys for life, his mother and sister are
imprisoned in a Roman jail where they contract leprosy, and all the
family property is confiscated. Judah first encounters Jesus, who
offers him a drink of water and encouragement, as Judah is being
marched to a galley to be a slave. Their lives continue to intersect
as the story unfolds. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Biography, NetWorth, Height, Age, Weight, Family, Married, Son, Daughter