Ben-Hur is the classic, best-selling book behind the many famous film versions. The author, Lew Wallace, created a literary biblical epic in this exciting and inspirational story of friendship betrayed, revenge, and, ultimately forgiveness and redemption. Subtitled "A Tale of the Christ", Ben-Hur is the story of the fictional main character's life encounter Jesus of Nazareth. Wrongly condemned for attempted assasination and sedition, the Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur is betrayed by his erstwhile childhood Roman friend, Messala, and is sentenced to the galleys while his family is cruely imprisoned. A providential turn of events brings Ben-Hur to a fierce chariot race with Messala and, ultimately, back to Jerusalem, during the ministry of Jesus. Ben-Hur's faith in Jesus as the Messiah is challenged by his crucifixion at the hands of both the Romans and Jewish authorities. But neither Ben-Hur's story nor Jesus' story ends there. Bibliography included.