Lew Wallace's powerful and poignant story of JudahBen-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem living at the time of Jesus Christ, hasbeen around for more than a century, yet it continues to attract and inspirereaders to this day. Falsely accused of attempting to assassinate a Romangovernor, Ben-Hur is enslaved and sentenced to work on a Roman galley, whilehis mother and sister are imprisoned and their possessions and landconfiscated. Luckily, he survives when the ship is attacked by pirates, andcomes home, determined to find his family and intent on revenge on the Romans. Whileorganizing a resistance force, he journeys to see John the Baptist. After herealizes that Jesus stands for forgiveness rather than revenge, Ben-Hur becomesone of his followers and devotes his life to the church after the crucifixion. First published in 1880, Ben-Hur became a bestselling book upon publication, and was adaptedto the celebrated 1959 film of the same title, which won eleven Academy Awards.A true classic, this suspenseful and moving tale gives a glimpse of life at theturn of an era.