[5] Judah later becomes a trained charioteer intending to defeat Messala as retribution for falsely accusing him and his family of attacking the Roman governor during a military parade earlier on in the book.

In the 1959 film directed by William Wyler, Ben-Hur was played by Charlton Heston,[9] who won the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Marlon Brando, Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman and Rock Hudson turned down the role before Heston accepted it.

Ben-Hur is given a more bitter personality; Balthazar, one of the three wise men having witnessed the birth of Christ, begs him to listen to the teachings of Jesus but Judah rebuffs him saying that he has business with Rome.

Blaming Rome for destroying the once good Messala (prior to his corruption) and what has happened to his family, Judah refuses to have anything more to do the Empire and asks Pilate to return his ring to his adoptive father, Quintus Arrius.

In contrast with the book, while witnessing the crucifixion, Judah comes to realize that forgiveness is better than vengeance, feeling Jesus' voice taking the sword of anger and hatred out of his hand.

The aftermath and his marriage to Esther is also not part of some of the adaptations’ plot with the exception of the 2003 animated film, where Judah shares with his children his adventures and faith in Jesus.