Post by kungfuzu on Feb 16, 2020 11:33:12 GMT -8
“Ben-Hur; A Tale of The Christ” by Lewis Wallace
My reading has not decreased as I age, but my book purchases have dropped drastically. What sense does it make to add actual books to a library, of close to 2,000 volumes, when I am already storing my treasure in boxes, on dressers, tables and the floor?
It would seem that the Kindle came about just in time for my problem. Over the last few years I have downloaded something like 365 books thus saving space and my marriage. As there are thousands of books for which the copyright has expired, I have also saved thousands of dollars. I am sure my wife likes this fact, as well. Among those free Kindle books are many classics which have passed the test of time. All in all, what’s not to like?
One of those classics, which I recently downloaded is Wallace’s “Ben-Hur.” I have seen the movie, starring Charlton Heston, several times, but left the book untouched, literally, as I have an old copy stored away in one of my many boxes. As is increasingly the case, it hit me that I am not getting any younger so I decided to grasp the nettle, so to speak, and take up Wallace’s masterpiece. I am glad I did.
Although they did not know each other, they were brought together somewhere in the desert in order to fulfill their mission and dearest wish. Once they were met, they proceeded to follow the star which directed them through Jerusalem on the road to Bethlehem.
We all know the story of their meeting with Herod the Great who asked them to let him know of the location of the “King of the Jews” should they find him. Wallace spins a wonderful tale of their travels and final encounter with the Baby Jesus. Of course, they are warned not to visit Herod once they leave Bethlehem. After they have accomplished their hearts’ desire, they return to their respective countries.
The next part jumps twenty-one years in the future. It gives a little history of the intervening years in order for the reader to gain a feeling for the situation in Judea. Once this is completed, the scene opens on two comely youths, one nineteen and the other seventeen years old. The first is an aristocratic Roman, Messala and the second, an equally aristocratic Jew, Judah Ben-Hur. These two had been fast friends as children, but Messala was sent to Rome for his education and has just returned after five years in the heart of the empire. He has come back haughty, arrogant, cynical and cruel. He sneers at Judah’s religion and customs, yet he has affection for Ben-Hur. He tries to entice Judah to join with him accepting the world as it is, Roman, and together grasp everything within their reach. Judah is shocked at Messala’s transformation and refuses Messala’s proposal. He turns and walks away. Thus spurned, Messala says, “Be it so. Eros is dead, Mars reigns.” Two things are clear from this statement. The first is that there is a strong element of homosexually in Messala’s love for Judah. He does, after all, use the word Eros which is sexual love instead of Philia which is brotherly love. The second is that Judah should be warned that Messala will now come after him.
Shortly after this scene, Ben-Hur is looking down from his roof-top on the new Prefect of Judea, Valerius Gratus, as the Prefect's procession marches into Jerusalem. When Judah leans over to get a better view, he knocks off a loose tile which hits Gratus, who falls off his horse. Although Gratus is not killed, it is claimed Ben-Hur tried to assassinate him and Roman soldiers invade the Ben-Hur home. They take Ben-Hur and his family prisoner. Judah is sentenced to the be a galley slave and he does not know what happens to his mother and sister. Of course, Messala had a hand in trumping up the charges against Judah and he shares in the spoils which Gratus confiscates from the Ben-Hur family.
Three years have passed before the next scene opens in which Quintus Arrius, a Roman naval commander takes over his new command of some 100 vessels to rid the Eastern Mediterranean from pirates. On board his new ship, he takes notice of Ben-Hur who has grown into a powerful man. There is something noble about Judah and Arrius eventually speaks to him and hears Ben-Hur's story. Oddly, Arrius knew Ben-Hur’s father and held him in high regard. But he is not sure that Ben-Hur is who he claims to be, so Arrius waits and watches.
As in the movie, just before sailing into battle, Arrius orders Ben-Hur’s shackle not be chained to the ship, thus freeing Ben-Hur to save himself should the ship go down. Of course, it does and Ben-Hur not only survives, but saves Arrius who is afraid he has lost the battle. In the event, he has not and is later celebrated and rewarded by Caesar for his victory. Arrius arranges for Judah to become a freeman, a Roman citizen and adopts him as his only son.
The book abruptly returns to Judea with Ben-Hur about to arrive by vessel at Antioch. In the interim (five years), Arrius has died in battle and Judah has inherited his estate. He returns to the Levant a rich man. The first thing which he does is seek out Simonides, a former slave of his father who is now a fabulously wealthy merchant with the protection of Caesar.
My reading has not decreased as I age, but my book purchases have dropped drastically. What sense does it make to add actual books to a library, of close to 2,000 volumes, when I am already storing my treasure in boxes, on dressers, tables and the floor?
It would seem that the Kindle came about just in time for my problem. Over the last few years I have downloaded something like 365 books thus saving space and my marriage. As there are thousands of books for which the copyright has expired, I have also saved thousands of dollars. I am sure my wife likes this fact, as well. Among those free Kindle books are many classics which have passed the test of time. All in all, what’s not to like?
One of those classics, which I recently downloaded is Wallace’s “Ben-Hur.” I have seen the movie, starring Charlton Heston, several times, but left the book untouched, literally, as I have an old copy stored away in one of my many boxes. As is increasingly the case, it hit me that I am not getting any younger so I decided to grasp the nettle, so to speak, and take up Wallace’s masterpiece. I am glad I did.
From the beginning of the story, one quickly notices that the book is very different from the movie in a number of ways.
The first section, which takes place around 4 B.C., deals with the Three Wise Men so famous from the Gospels. It goes on some length telling of the journeys of Gaspar, the Greek, Melchior the Indian and Balthasar the Egyptian and how they came to their search for the Christ Child. All three were deeply religious and through their different customs and cultures came to the holy truth that there was one God. They were all called by an inner-voice to leave their homelands in to find the Saviour. A spirit, manifest as a star led each.
Although they did not know each other, they were brought together somewhere in the desert in order to fulfill their mission and dearest wish. Once they were met, they proceeded to follow the star which directed them through Jerusalem on the road to Bethlehem.
We all know the story of their meeting with Herod the Great who asked them to let him know of the location of the “King of the Jews” should they find him. Wallace spins a wonderful tale of their travels and final encounter with the Baby Jesus. Of course, they are warned not to visit Herod once they leave Bethlehem. After they have accomplished their hearts’ desire, they return to their respective countries.
The next part jumps twenty-one years in the future. It gives a little history of the intervening years in order for the reader to gain a feeling for the situation in Judea. Once this is completed, the scene opens on two comely youths, one nineteen and the other seventeen years old. The first is an aristocratic Roman, Messala and the second, an equally aristocratic Jew, Judah Ben-Hur. These two had been fast friends as children, but Messala was sent to Rome for his education and has just returned after five years in the heart of the empire. He has come back haughty, arrogant, cynical and cruel. He sneers at Judah’s religion and customs, yet he has affection for Ben-Hur. He tries to entice Judah to join with him accepting the world as it is, Roman, and together grasp everything within their reach. Judah is shocked at Messala’s transformation and refuses Messala’s proposal. He turns and walks away. Thus spurned, Messala says, “Be it so. Eros is dead, Mars reigns.” Two things are clear from this statement. The first is that there is a strong element of homosexually in Messala’s love for Judah. He does, after all, use the word Eros which is sexual love instead of Philia which is brotherly love. The second is that Judah should be warned that Messala will now come after him.
Shortly after this scene, Ben-Hur is looking down from his roof-top on the new Prefect of Judea, Valerius Gratus, as the Prefect's procession marches into Jerusalem. When Judah leans over to get a better view, he knocks off a loose tile which hits Gratus, who falls off his horse. Although Gratus is not killed, it is claimed Ben-Hur tried to assassinate him and Roman soldiers invade the Ben-Hur home. They take Ben-Hur and his family prisoner. Judah is sentenced to the be a galley slave and he does not know what happens to his mother and sister. Of course, Messala had a hand in trumping up the charges against Judah and he shares in the spoils which Gratus confiscates from the Ben-Hur family.
Three years have passed before the next scene opens in which Quintus Arrius, a Roman naval commander takes over his new command of some 100 vessels to rid the Eastern Mediterranean from pirates. On board his new ship, he takes notice of Ben-Hur who has grown into a powerful man. There is something noble about Judah and Arrius eventually speaks to him and hears Ben-Hur's story. Oddly, Arrius knew Ben-Hur’s father and held him in high regard. But he is not sure that Ben-Hur is who he claims to be, so Arrius waits and watches.
As in the movie, just before sailing into battle, Arrius orders Ben-Hur’s shackle not be chained to the ship, thus freeing Ben-Hur to save himself should the ship go down. Of course, it does and Ben-Hur not only survives, but saves Arrius who is afraid he has lost the battle. In the event, he has not and is later celebrated and rewarded by Caesar for his victory. Arrius arranges for Judah to become a freeman, a Roman citizen and adopts him as his only son.
The book abruptly returns to Judea with Ben-Hur about to arrive by vessel at Antioch. In the interim (five years), Arrius has died in battle and Judah has inherited his estate. He returns to the Levant a rich man. The first thing which he does is seek out Simonides, a former slave of his father who is now a fabulously wealthy merchant with the protection of Caesar.
Simonides had run the family business after the elder Ben-Hur’s death. He had been clever enough to stash away cash around the empire, thus defeating Gratus’ attempts to grab every cent from the Ben-Hur family. Simonides had been tortured several times in order to inform Gratus of the whereabouts of Ben-Hur’s residual fortune, but he never spoke. For his loyalty, he is broken in body, but not in spirit and has developed an abiding hate for Rome.
The balance of the review will soon follow.
