This week in Christian history: Anne Hutchinson trial begins, Ben-Hur first published

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, November 06, 2022

Ben-Hur published – Nov. 12, 1880

Lew Wallace (1827-1905), a Union soldier, lawyer, and writer who authored the best-selling historical fiction novel 'Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.' — Lew Wallace (1827-1905), a Union soldier, lawyer, and writer who authored the best-selling historical fiction novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ." | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when the book Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, which would inspire multiple motion picture adaptations, was published.

Written by General Lew Wallace and released through Harper & Brothers, the story focused on fictional Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur seeking revenge against a Roman soldier named Messala, against the backdrop of the life of Jesus.

“The novel grew in such popularity during Wallace’s lifetime that it was adapted into a stage play in 1899. That dramatization was followed by the motion picture productions in 1907, 1925, 1959 and 2016,” explained the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum.

“Ben-Hur‘s impact on American culture is larger than the dramatic adaptations alone. The Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur, a national fraternal organization founded upon Ben-Hur, later reformed into Ben-Hur Life Insurance. There have even been American towns named after Ben-Hur.”