Lewis Wallace

Ben-Hur Lewis Wallace

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 powerful and influential Christian book of the nineteenth century". The story relates the undertakings of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish sovereign from Jerusalem, who is oppressed by the Romans toward the start of the century and turns into a charioteer and a Christian. Running in corresponding with Judah's account is the unfurling story of Jesus, from a similar locale and around a similar age. The novel reflects topics of double-crossing, conviction, and recovery, with a vengeance plot that prompts an account of affection and sympathy.