Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is a novel by Lew Wallace, first published in 1880, and considered the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century. It became a best-selling American novel, surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) in sales.
The story concerns a Hebrew named Messala and takes place in Biblical times during the Roman occupation of Israel and the coming of Christ. It has been memorably filmed numerous times.
