Amazon.com description: Product Description: * Beautifully illustrated with atmospheric paintings by renowned artists, Ben-Hur is considered the most influential book of the nineteenth century and was the best-selling American novel for almost a century after its publication. * A powerful and compelling novel, it recounts the life of Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem at the beginning of the first century AD, in parallel with the unfolding story of Jesus.* Just as accessible and enjoyable for today's readers as it would have been when first published, the novel is one of the great works of American literature and continues to be widely read throughout the world.* This meticulous edition from Heritage Illustrated Publishing is a faithful reproduction of the original text and is enhanced with images of classic works of art carefully selected by our team of professional editors.