“I began ‘Ben Hur’ about 1876, and it was published in 1880. The
purpose, at first, was a short serial for one of the magazines,
descriptive of the visit of the wise men to Jerusalem as mentioned
in the first two verses of the second chapter of Matthew. It will be
recognized in ‘Book First’ of the work as now published. For certain
reasons, however, the serial idea was abandoned, and the narrative,
instead of ending with the birth of the Savior, expanded into a more
pretentious novel and only ended with the death scene on Calvary. The
last ten chapters were written in the old adobe palace at Sante Fe, New
Mexico, where I was serving as governor. It is difficult to answer the
question, ‘what led me to write the book?’ or why I chose a piece of
fiction which used Christ as its leading character. In explanation, it
is proper to state that I had reached an age in life when men usually
begin to study themselves with reference to their fellowmen, and
reflect on the good they may have done in the world. Up to that time,
never having read the Bible, I knew nothing about sacred history; and
in matters of a religious nature, although I was not in every respect
an infidel, I was persistently and notoriously indifferent. I did not
know, and, therefore, did not care. I resolved to begin the study of
the good book in earnest.