Judah Ben-Hur Whether that was a proper name, or the person was being referred to as "the son of Hur" is not clear. The specific meaning of "Hur" is also unclear; among other possibilities, it may mean "something white" or "hollow or depressed ground". "The Count of Monte Cristo" was the inspiration for Ben-Hur; the main character Edmond Dantes is falsely accused, escapes his imprisonment and seeks vengeance on those responsible for his imprisonment. Judah Ben-Hur is a Jewish prince of Jerusalem who is descended from a royal family of Judaea; son of Ithamar; enslaved by the Romans and freed by Quintus
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ Christ's life, such as Reverend J. H. Ingraham's "The Prince of the House of David" (1855), preceded Wallace's novel, while others such as Charles M. Shedon's ""In His Steps": What Would Jesus Do?" (1897) followed it, but "Ben-Hur" was among the first to make Jesus a major character in a novel. Members of the clergy and others praised Wallace's detailed description of the Middle East during Jesus's lifetime and encouraged their congregations to read the book at home and during Sunday School. One Roman Catholic priest wrote to Wallace: "The messiah appears before us as I always wished him depicted".