Ben-Hur (Part 1)

A couple of Sundays ago I had some time in the church library after my membership interview. In my search for a good book to read, I came across "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ" by Lew Wallace. When I saw the title, I chose it right away for several reasons:
1) Lew Wallace was a Hoosier, born in Brookville (near Cincinnati, OH) and spending much of his life in Indianapolis and Crawfordsville. The book was the best-selling novel of the 19th century.
2) The book is a favorite of the pastor of the church I attended in Connecticut. He's even written a sequel.
3) I saw the movie (1959 starring Charlton Heston) a couple of years ago and really liked it.

I've passed the 100 page mark (out of 500) and the book has not disappointed. It is not a quick reading book, as the author writes in a very descriptive style that requires a lot of thought. I can understand why my previous pastor likes it so much. Here is a segment taken from when the wise men arrive to see Jesus:

The apartment was lighted by a lantern enough to enable the strangers to find the mother, and the child awake in her lap.

"Is the child thine?" asked Balthasar of Mary.

And she who had kept all the things in the least affecting the little one, and pondered them in her heart, held it up in the light, saying, "He is my son!"

And they fell down and worshipped him.

They saw the child was as other children: about its head was neither nimbus nor material crown; its lips opened not in speech; if it heard their expressions of joy, their invocations, their prayers, it made no sign whatever, but, baby-like, looked longer at the flame in the lantern than at them.

In a little while they arose, and, returning to the camels, brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, and laid them before the child, abating nothing of their worshipful speeches; of which no part is given, for the thoughtful know that the pure worship of the pure heart was then what it is now, and has always been, an inspired song.

And this was the Saviour they had come so far to find!

Yet they worshipped without a doubt.