Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ of "Ben-Hur" is considered one of the greatest films ever made and was seen by tens of millions, going on to win a record 11 Academy Awards in 1960, after which the book's sales increased and it surpassed "Gone with the Wind". It was blessed by Pope Leo XIII, the first novel ever to receive such praise. The success of the novel and its stage and film adaptations also helped it to become a popular cultural icon that was used to promote numerous commercial products. The story recounts the adventures of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem, who is
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ book, "Ben-Hur" returned to the top of the bestseller lists in the 1960s. At the time of the book's 100th anniversary in 1980, "Ben-Hur" had never been out of print and had been adapted for the stage and several motion pictures. "Ben-Hur" was popular in its own day despite slow initial sales and mixed reviews from contemporary literary critics, who "found its romanticism passé and its action pulpy". "Century" magazine called it an "anachronism" and "The Atlantic" panned its descriptions as "too lavish". For its readers, however, the book "resonated with some of the most significant issues in late Victorian