Ben-Hur

<p><em>Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ</em> is a novel by Lew Wallace first published in 1880 and considered the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century. It became a best-selling American novel surpassing Harriet Beecher Stowe's <em>Uncle Tom's Cabin</em> (1852) in sales. </p><p>The story concerns a Hebrew named Messala and takes place in Biblical times during the Roman occupation of Israel and the coming of Christ. It has been memorably filmed numerous times.</p>