What is Ben-Hur about?
In this epic tale, set in Jerusalem in 26 AD, a wealthy Jewish nobleman named Judah Ben-Hur becomes enslaved by the Romans after he’s falsely accused of plotting to assassinate a Roman governor. A Roman consul, Quintus Arrius, eventually trains Judah to become a champion charioteer, leading Judah to ultimately try to seek revenge on Messala—his former childhood friend who orchestrated the false accusation against Judah—in a chariot race. Along the way, Judah experiences a pair of touching chance encounters with Jesus Christ leading up to the latter’s crucifixion and searches for his long-lost family, including his sister, Tirzah, and his mother, Miriam.
Is Ben-Hur a true story?
While Jesus Christ is a featured character in Ben-Hur, which is also set in the real place and time when Jesus lived, the story itself is fictional.
Is Ben-Hur in the Bible?
The name Ben-Hur does make a brief appearance in the Bible, although it doesn’t seem to have any literary connection to the novel and films’ titular character. In First Kings 4:1-19, there’s a list of 12 district governors appointed by Solomon during his reign as King of Israel—and Ben-Hur was one of them.
Ben-Hur movie from 1959
This film, directed by cinematic golden-age auteur WilliamWyler, had the biggest budget of any movie ever made when it debuted on November 18, 1959. It also set the record for the most Oscars ever won by a single film—11!—which has never been broken (although it has been tied by both 1997’s Titanic and 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King).
Ben-Hur 1959 cast
Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur Jack Hawkins as Quintus Arrius Stephen Boyd as Messala Martha Scott as Miriam Cathy O’Donnell as Tirzah Claude Heater (uncredited) as Jesus Christ
How to watch Ben-Hur (1959)
When will Ben-Hur be on TV this Easter?
TCM will also air the movie Friday, April 2, at 8 p.m. ET.—just in time for Easter weekend!
BenHur movie from 2003
Heston reprised his role as Ben-Hur in voice only when his production company released an animated, straight-to-video version of the classic story. It would be Heston’s final film credit before his death in 2008.
BenHur 2003 cast
Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur Richard Newman as Quintus Arrius Duncan Fraser as Messala Tabitha St. Germain as Miriam WillowJohnson as Tirzah Scott McNeil as Jesus Christ
How to watch BenHur (2003)
Ben-Hur 2016 movie
Another big-budget Ben-Hur arrived in 2016, when Russian-Kazakh director TimurBekmambetov helmed a $100 million version starring relatively unknown British actor Jack Hustonin the title role. The new version was hyped as “a new interpretation” of Wallace’s novel, rather than a straight remake. One big change: The character of Sheik Ilderim—who was a relatively minor, comical figure in previous versions of the story—became a major (and more serious) part of the story this time around.
Ben-Hur 2016 cast
Jack Huston as Judah Ben-Hur James Cosmo as Quintus Arrius Toby Kebbell as Messala Sofia Black-D’Elia as Tirzah Rodrigo Santoro as Jesus Christ Morgan Freeman as Sheik Ilderim
How to watch Ben-Hur (2016)
Earlier versions of Ben-Hur
Long ago, Ben-Hur was also made into two silent films. A 1907 short film was co-directed by Sidney Olcott and Frank Oakes Rose and starred Herman Rottjer as a character called “Chief Charioteer,” which was presumably the Ben-Hur role. (Another fun fact? The chariot racing scenes were shot in the oh-so-ancient borough of Brooklyn!) That version is widely available to view online for free. A 1925 feature-length silent film was later made starring Ramon Novarro in the title role. In 1997, that version was chosen to be preserved in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry—while seven years later, in 2004, the 1959 version was likewise entered into the Registry. Next, read through our list of the best Easter movies ever.
