How you explore Ben-Hur on Literah
The cast, the places, the objects, the plot, and the author’s own words — each one a card in a feed you scroll on your phone. One at a time, at your pace, in any order you like.
- Built for your phone. Literah is designed for mobile, so your worlds travel with you. On a laptop it shows a QR code to carry the world to your phone.
- A feed, not a wall of text. 24 characters, 23 places, 13 objects and 6 plot beats, each its own card with its own illustration.
- The author’s own words. 31 passages of Ben-Hur sit in the feed verbatim, exactly as Lew Wallace wrote them, each with a short reading of what it is doing. The map is ours; the prose is always the book’s.
- The same scroll, a better world. The gesture you already give away to feeds, spent on Lew Wallace instead.
The Ben-Hur feed, as it appears in your mobile
The plot of Ben-Hur
The story beat by beat, as Literah maps it.
- The Star Over Bethlehem
- The Fall of the House of Hur
- The Galleys and Arrius
- Return and Recognition
- The Chariot Race
- Calvary
The author's pen in Ben-Hur
The passages themselves, Lew Wallace's own words, as Literah maps it.
- The Miracle of Understandingch. 1
- Jebel Es Zubleh and the Desertch. 1
- I Pity Theech. 2
- The Falling Tilech. 2
- Unclean Yet Pleadingch. 2
- Arrius Asks of Number Sixtych. 3
- Arrius Adopts a Boych. 3
- The Welcome of a Princech. 4
- The Kingdom For the Soulch. 4
- What Of This Kingdomch. 4
- All Thine Six Hundred Seventy Three Talentsch. 5
- Freedom Refusedch. 5
- Ben Hur and the Fourch. 5
- Ben Hur A Jew Driverch. 5
- The Eyes of the Eastch. 5
- Ben Hur Winsch. 5
- Messala Escapes With Lifech. 5
- The Conquest of Himselfch. 5
- Saving Arrius Amid Vengeancech. 5
- Preparing Israel for Restorationch. 6
The characters of Ben-Hur
Who is who, as Literah maps it.
- Judah Ben-Hurmajor
- Messalamajor
- Christ / the Nazarenemajor
- Balthasarmajor
- Simonidesmajor
- Esthermajor
- Mother of Hurmajor
- Sheik Ilderimmajor
- Tirzahsupporting
- Quintus Arriussupporting
- Irassupporting
- Amrahsupporting
- Malluchsupporting
- Gasparsupporting
- Melchiorsupporting
- Marysupporting
The locations in Ben-Hur
Where it happens, as Literah maps it.
- Desert Meeting Place of the Magidesert
- Bethlehem and the Cavetown and cave
- Jerusalemcity
- Joppa Gatecity gate
- Herod’s Palace Courtpalace court
- House of Huraristocratic house
- Tower of Antonia, Cell No. VIprison
- Roman Galleywarship
- The Sea Battlesea battlefield
- Romeimperial city
- Antiochcity
- Simonides’ Warehouse on the Oronteswarehouse
- Grove of Daphnesacred grove
- Fountain of Castaliafountain
The core concepts in Ben-Hur
What the book keeps returning to, as Literah maps it.
- Revenge can win the crowd but not heal the wound
- Empire acts on bodies before it wins arguments
- The true kingdom is not the kingdom Ben-Hur first wants
- Loyalty preserves what violence thinks it has destroyed
- Beauty is a test of allegiance
- Hidden suffering matters more than public triumph
- Faith, love, and good works converge in witness
- Identity is inherited, lost, renamed, and chosen
The objects of note in Ben-Hur
The things that carry meaning, as Literah maps it.
- Ilderim’s Four Horses: Atair, Rigel, Antares, Aldebaran
- The Chariot
- Messala’s Wheel and Axle
- The Galley Oar
- Simonides’ Account Papers
- The Cup of Iras and Balthasar
- Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh
- The Centurion’s Sword and Shield
- Leper Coverings
- The Cross
- Arrius’ Ring
- Balthasar’s Litter
- Balthasar’s Staff
The offer
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This collection includes Ben-Hur, along with The Three Musketeers, The Count of Monte Cristo, Ivanhoe, The Prisoner of Zenda, Cyrano de Bergerac, Kidnapped and The Last of the Mohicans.
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