Ben-Hur
Textsâš¡ IN BRIEF (SUMMARY)
Ben-Hur is the central character in Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a fictionalized Jewish prince who endures slavery and seeks revenge against his Roman childhood friend Messala before encountering Jesus.
What is the meaning of Ben-Hur in the Bible?
Ben-Hur is the central character in Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, a fictionalized Jewish prince who endures slavery and seeks revenge against his Roman childhood friend Messala before encountering Jesus.
TEXTUAL SIGNIFICANCE
Understanding the distinction between the novel's fictional Ben-Hur and the minor biblical official in 1 Kings 4:8 prevents confusion regarding the historical and literary sources of the famous story.
Bible Study Quick-Reference Guide
- Why did the biblical author mention Ben-Hur in this passage?
- What cultural or historical assumption does Ben-Hur clarify?
Source Attribution & Provenance
Built upon the 1915 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897). Entries have been editorially modernized, checked for academic truthfulness, and formatted for fast contextual reference.