Ben-Hur, Chapter 12 summary

What happens

1. Eleven days after the child’s birth, the wise men approach Jerusalem on large white camels that attract attention.
2. Balthasar asks roadside women about the newborn king and explains that the travelers follow a star and seek to worship him.
3. Repeated questions bring no answers, but an astonished crowd follows the travelers toward the city.
4. At the gate, a Roman sentry summons an officer, who clears space and questions Balthasar.
5. Balthasar rejects the officer’s suggestion that they mean Herod, whose authority comes from Caesar.
6. The officer admits them, and Balthasar proposes going to the khan because their mission is sufficiently announced.

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What to notice

Balthasar makes clear that their search concerns someone other than the recognized ruler. This distinction explains the officer’s confusion.

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