Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ


Read by Mark F. Smith

(4.8 stars; 420 reviews)

Ben-Hur is a story of two very different heroes. Judah Ben-Hur, a prince of Jerusalem, is involved in an accident to the Roman procurator which is taken to be intentional. He is seized and sent to the fleet as a galley-slave, while his family is imprisoned and the family goods confiscated. When Ben-Hur saves the fleet captain from drowning after his ship is sunk in a fight with pirates, that officer adopts him as son and heir. With Roman training, Ben-Hur distinguishes himself in the arena and the palistrae and appears to be on the way to high military command. (23 hr 22 min)

Chapters

Book 1, Part 1 11:50 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 2 12:38 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 3 9:04 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 4 13:10 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 5 26:05 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 6 9:38 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 7 13:45 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 8 13:20 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 9 23:18 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 10 3:49 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 11 16:44 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 12 7:45 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 13 26:35 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 1, Part 14 6:07 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 1 9:26 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 2 26:39 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 3 13:15 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 4 19:12 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 5 21:15 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 6 31:36 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 2, Part 7 8:32 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 3, Part 1 17:43 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 3, Part 2 16:36 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 3, Part 3 19:32 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 3, Part 4 16:23 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 3, Part 5 17:14 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 3, Part 6 14:29 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 1 10:36 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 2 8:27 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 3 25:06 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 4 19:35 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 5 14:58 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 6 16:51 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 7 15:01 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 8 17:35 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 9 15:57 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 10 18:54 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 11 23:09 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 12 25:12 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 13 23:35 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 14 9:31 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 15 14:26 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 16 21:03 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 4, Part 17 13:56 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 1 12:56 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 2 16:50 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 3 31:10 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 4 3:05 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 5 15:34 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 6 9:53 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 7 16:12 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 8 28:44 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 9 10:39 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 10 11:24 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 11 16:20 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 12 14:05 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 13 18:26 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 14 20:21 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 15 7:13 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 5, Part 16 25:53 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 6, Part 1 18:24 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 6, Part 2 28:46 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 6, Part 3 14:25 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 6, Part 4 17:30 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 6, Part 5 18:47 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 6, Part 6 22:48 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 7, Part 1 7:23 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 7, Part 2 15:11 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 7, Part 3 22:14 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 7, Part 4 27:29 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 7, Part 5 20:30 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 1 21:13 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 2 16:35 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 3 22:17 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 4 18:44 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 5 8:52 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 6 28:09 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 7 7:29 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 8 18:11 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 9 23:25 Read by Mark F. Smith
Book 8, Part 10 45:30 Read by Mark F. Smith

Reviews

Worth Every Minute


(5 stars)

Another classic tale read by Mark Smith, one of our favorite readers. The book truly is better than any of the best radio dramatizations or movies available. It is worth every minute of your time. By the time the book reaches its completion you will not want to say goodbye to Ben-Hur, his family, and his friends. You may even be drawn to pity for his enemies. Some sections are made long by so many detailed descriptions. Be patient, often those descriptions add a much deeper meaning to the pages that follow. Lew Wallace himself was not a follower of Christ when he began this work. It is no surprise that, with the intensity he studied the Bible while writing Ben-Hur, he became a Christian. This is a book to treasure for Christians and non-Christians alike, for it is filled with history, adventure, and the poetry that is life. Highly recommended!

A truly amazing book


(5 stars)

It’s hard to know what to say that can do justice to this work. More than once the spirit of it has touched my heart. A wonderful read any time of the year, especially poignant during the Christmas season. Thank you Librivox for making it available, and to the reader for his excellent portrayal.

Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ


(5 stars)

If you have seen the movie, and seen the remake of it, own the movie and pull it out to watch from time to time, as I have, you have not yet known the story of the family Hur and the events they witnessed surrounding the coming of the King of Kings. Lew Wallace has filled in the missing pieces, given us the failures and triumphs, shown us the lovely and the ugly, the courageous and the brutal facets of human spirit. Mark Smith (flawlessly, as always) delivers his characters full of life; from the long trek after the wise men's mutual visions, all the way to fulfillment at the cross, of the faith where they began. If your heart can be touched by the tender victories of the Son of God and the struggles of Ben-Hur and his family on their way to belief and Life -then you will journey to Golgotha and beyond. Perhaps you may even find yourself believing.

Ben-Hur


(5 stars)

Wonderful reading, thanks for such an undertaking! Very good story though very detailed. Thoroughly enjoyed imagining life at the time of our Savior. I have often thought of that and I feel this story helps to do that. So great to hear this author became a Christian because of writing this! Amen! God bless and thank you!


(5 stars)

This book exceeded my expectations! I have always been a fan of the movie, but there is no comparison with the book. The book gives greater detail in developing multiple storylines and the reader did a great job portraying the characters. It's a long read, but worth every chapter. Highly recommended!


(5 stars)

Great book, and thank you Mark Smith. This is the second book I have listened to narrated by you.


(5 stars)

Truly a masterpiece running parallel to the world changing story of Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Epic!


(5 stars)

I barely remember the movie. I certainly remember the chariot race scene. But I can say with confidence that the book is better than the movie. There are several subplots and facets to the book that could never be given their due attention in a movie. Ambition vs. Duty. Eros vs. Mars. Forgiveness vs. Revenge. Submission vs. Rebellion. Spiritual vs. Political freedom. And of course, one woman vs. another. ;) While the title calls it "A Tale of the Christ," the protagonist is definitely Judah Ben-Hur. Jesus is a side character (albeit an important one). Excellently read by Mark F. Smith. Technical aspects of the recording are great, too.