22 h 25 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 22 h 25 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What remains when one falling tile costs a young man his home, his family, and his freedom?
In Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, Judah Ben-Hur is a wealthy young Jewish nobleman in Jerusalem. His boyhood friend Messala returns as an ambitious Roman officer. An accident and a friend’s anger tear Judah from his family and send him to the oars of a Roman war galley.
Judah’s search for his lost mother and sister carries him through the Roman world, from the sea to Antioch and the arena of chariot racing. His life crosses that of Jesus within the novel’s larger story. As Judah seeks justice, Wallace asks what hatred does to a person—and what might heal it.
What you’ll discover
- A friendship turned bitter Watch Judah and Messala face the gulf between old affection and Roman ambition.
- The strain of survival Follow a wronged young nobleman into chains, thirst, and the hard labor of the galley.
- The chariot racing arena Enter the world of Arabian horses, determined training, and Judah’s fierce hunger for justice.
- Loyalty amid the ruins Meet Simonides and Esther, whose faithfulness offers a counterweight to betrayal and loss.
- Revenge against mercy Explore the struggle between justified anger and forgiveness at the heart of Judah’s journey.
Who will love it
Readers who love sweeping adventure, sea battles, chariot races and revenge will find it here, as will anyone drawn to the ancient world and to stories of loyalty and faith.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Three strangers meet in the desert
- A child is born at Bethlehem
- Two boyhood friends part in anger
- A roof tile ends a happy home
- A Roman captain notices a galley slave
- A son of Hur seeks proof in Antioch
- Horses, a fortune and a wager
- A king of souls or a king of swords
- Revenge, mercy and the pull of loyalty
- A teacher's voice and a showman's eye
Who’s who
- Judah Ben-HurA young Jewish prince of Jerusalem, gentle and proud, who is wronged by a friend and seeks justice, his lost family and a cause.
- MessalaA Roman nobleman and Judah's boyhood friend, brilliant, scornful and ambitious, who believes that power is the only thing that matters.
- Quintus ArriusA Roman tribune and sailor who notices a galley slave, tests his character and offers him a new life.
- SimonidesA crippled Antioch merchant, once a servant of Judah's father, whose sharp mind and long loyalty guard a hidden fortune.
- EstherSimonides' gentle daughter, quick to judge people truly, who quietly hopes that Judah will see her worth.
- Sheik IlderimA generous desert chief with a grudge against Rome and four beloved Arabian horses that he wants to see win.
- BalthasarAn old Egyptian, one of the three wise men, who believes that the promised king comes to save souls, not to rule lands.
- IrasBalthasar's daughter, an alluring Egyptian who sings, tells stories and charms Judah on the lake.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
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- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
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- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
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- Hardcover
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- Large print hardcover
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Ben-Hur: Eine Erzählung von Christus
by Lew Wallace · 1880
A Jewish prince chained to a Roman oar must survive pirates, a rival and a faith that offers no sword.
ChallengingOver 20 hours to readDeutsch
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In short
Three strangers on three white camels cross the Arabian desert and meet at a striped tent, each sure that a star has called him. One is a Greek, one a Hindu, one an Egyptian, and when they bless the bread together, each hears the others in his own tongue.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Three strangers meet in the desert
Ben-Hur opens not with its hero but with a rider on a white dromedary, crossing the sands east of the Jordan in December. His name is Balthasar, he is an Egyptian, and he pitches a small tent and prepares a meal for two travelers he awaits.
Melchior, a tall Hindu, and Gaspar, a fair Greek of Athens, arrive on white camels. They have never met, and they share no language. Yet when they speak the blessing together over the meal, each understands the others perfectly.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1880
- Language
- Deutsch
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Wallace, Lew. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/ben-hur-a-tale-of-the-christ.
Wallace, L. (2026). Ben-Hur: A tale of the Christ. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/ben-hur-a-tale-of-the-christ (Original work published 1880)
Wallace, Lew. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/ben-hur-a-tale-of-the-christ.
@book{wallace2026benhur,
author = {Wallace, Lew},
title = {Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/ben-hur-a-tale-of-the-christ},
note = {First published 1880}
}
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What is Ben-Hur about?
It follows Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince in Jerusalem who is betrayed by a Roman friend and sentenced to the galleys. The story moves through a sea battle, a fortune and a great chariot race, while the life of Jesus unfolds nearby.
Who are the three wise men in Ben-Hur?
They are Gaspar, a Greek of Athens, Melchior, a Hindu, and Balthasar, an Egyptian. Each is called by a star to find a newborn king. Balthasar returns later in the story and meets Judah in Antioch.
Is Ben-Hur a true story, and when was it written?
It is a historical novel, so Judah and his family are invented, while the setting is the real Roman world under Herod and Pilate. Lew Wallace published it in 1880 after careful research into the period.
The author
Lew Wallace
1827–1905 · American novelist and general
Lew Wallace (1827–1905) was an American writer, lawyer, and Union general in the American Civil War. Born in Brookville, Indiana, he died in Crawfordsville, Indiana. He served as governor of New Mexico Territory from 1878 to 1881. His novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ was published in 1880.
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