Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ "Ben-Hur" as the most influential Christian book of the 19th century, while others have identified it as one of the best-selling novels of all time. Carl Van Doren wrote that "Ben-Hur" was, along with "Uncle Tom's Cabin", the first fiction many Americans read. Wallace's original plan was to write a story of the biblical magi as a magazine serial, which he began in 1873, but he had changed its focus by 1874. "Ben-Hur" begins with the story of the magi, but the remainder of the novel connects the story of Christ with the adventures of Wallace's fictional character, Judah Ben-Hur.
Ben Hur (2003 film) Ben Hur (2003 film) Ben Hur is a 2003 animated drama film based on the novel "", by Lew Wallace. It is the fourth film adaptation of the novel. Charlton Heston's production company, Agamemnon Films (in association with GoodTimes Entertainment), produced this direct-to-video animated version of the story, with Heston himself giving voice to the title character. Heston had won an Academy Award for playing the same role in the 1959 version. This version was Heston's last film. The animated version tells the same story as the 1959 film, with some differences. The story begins with Balthazar waiting in the