Oxford University Press's
Academic Insights for the Thinking World

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur: tracing the iconic novel and films through history

The latest film adaptation of the story of fictional Jewish noble Judah Ben-Hur is premiering in theaters today. You’ve probably seen the 1959 film version starring Charlton Heston, but do you know about the story’s rich history and impact over the last 136 years?

For instance, we bet you probably didn’t know that:

“Combined (and adjusted for inflation), the authorized and licensed adaptations of Ben-Hur along with independent Ben-Hur companies, businesses, brands, and products have amassed billions of dollars and perpetuated the Ben-Hur name and its chariot imagery throughout the popular culture” (Jon Solomon).

In celebration of the movie premiere, we’ve created a timeline highlighting key events in this iconic work’s history.

Featured image credit: “Provocation” by aka Tman. CC BY 2.0 via Flickr.

Recent Comments

  1. Raquel

    This is fantastic. Thanks for sharing! It’s amazing how this book became such a huge bestseller and blockbuster.

Comments are closed.