Preface. And he I dont know do you Is there a Heaven I I dont know do you Is there a Hell I dont know do you Is there a Hereafter I dont know do you I finished, saying, There, Colonel, you have the texts. Now go. And he did. He was in prime mood and, beginning, his ideas turned to speech, flowing like a heated river. His manner of putting things was marvellous and as the Wedding Guest was held by the glittering eye of the Ancient Mariner, I sat spellbound, listening to a medley of argument, eloquence, wit, satire, audacity, irreverence, poetry, brilliant antitheses, and pungent excoriation of believers in God, Christ, and Heaven, the like of which I had never heard. He surpassed himself, and that is saying a great deal. The speech was brought to an end by our arrival at the Indianapolis Central Station nearly two hours after its commencement. Upon alighting from the car, we separated he to go to a hotel, and I to my brothers, a long way up northeast of town. The street cars were at my service, but I preferred to v Preface study to the best advantage, I thought of the manuscript in my desk. Its closing scene was the child Christ in the cave by Bethlehem why not go on with the story down to the crucifixion That would make a book, and compel me to study everything of pertinency after which, possibly, I would be possessed of opinions of real value. It only remains to say that I did as resolved, with results - first, the book Ben - Hur, and, second, a conviction amounting to absolute belief in God and the divlnity of Christ. LEWIS WALLACE. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAP PAGB I. INTO THE DESERT . . . . 3 I . MEETING O F THE WISE MEN . . . . 10 n . THE ATHENIAN SPEAKS-FAITH . 17 IV. SPEECH OF THE HISDOO-LOVE. . . . . . 22 V. THE EGYPTIANS STORY-GOOD WORKS . . 28 VI. THE JOPPA GATE. . . . . . . 41 VII. TYPICAL CHARACTERS AT THE JOPPA GATE 47 V111 JOSEPH AND MARY GOING TO BETHLEHEM 54 IX. THE CAVE AT BETHLEHEM. . . . . . . 62 X. THE LIGHT IN THE SKY . . . . 75 XI CHRIST IS BORN . . . . . 77 XI1 THE WISE MEN ARRIVE AT JERUSALEM 86 XIII. THE WITNESSES BEFORE HEROD . 9 1 XIV. THE XVISE MEN FIND THE CHILD . . . 106 LIST OF PLATES THE HOLY FAMILY. . . . . . . F r o n t i r t c Repose in Egypt-by Ludwig Knaus THE ADORATION OF THE SHEPHERDS. . . F g p 32 From a painting by Murillo in the Prado, Madrid THE VIRGIN AXD CHILD, ENTHRONED, WITH SAINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Colonna Raphael, painted in 1 for a convent in Perugia THE MADOXNA OF THE OWE-BRANCH . . 96 After the painting by N. Barabino And strews her lights bclm,, I j t r dtc gots ott Q P I rr p . . . W -, . - Tsxsuso. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.