the
main character of the historical
novel Ben-Hur A Tale of
Christ, written in 1880 by
American author, Lew
Wallace (1827-1905). The story
centers on the young, wealthy Jewish nobleman, Judah Ben-Hur who is wrongly accused by a former
Roman friend of seeking to
murder the
Roman governor of Palestine. His
mother and sister are imprisoned and he is
sent to
work as a slave
aboard a
ship. Years later he escapes and becomes a
Roman officer who engages in a chariot battle against his former betrayer. After winning the battle he is reunited with his
mother and sister who have contracted the disease
leprosy. Both, however, are cured of the disease on the
day of the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ and the family converts to
Christianity. This well-known story has been performed on the
stage and has, several
times, been made into a
motion picture.