Ben Hur · Chapter
Chapter XIII explained
Herod the Great interviews the three wise men—Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar—who have come to Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of the Jews.
What happens
Herod the Great interviews the three wise men—Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar—who have come to Jerusalem seeking the newborn King of the Jews. Despite Herod's attempts to extract information and his feigned desire to worship the child, the wise men remain faithful to their divine mission. After the audience, they follow the star to Bethlehem, rejoicing in the fulfillment of the prophecy.
Themes in this chapter
Miracle and Divine Intervention
The guiding star and the Spirit that compels the wise men to journey and find the newborn Christ demonstrate divine intervention.
Power and Oppression
Herod's manipulation and secret hostility toward the newborn king illustrate the oppressive nature of earthly power.
Faith and Redemption
The wise men's unwavering faith in God's promise and their joyful pursuit of the Redeemer embody the theme of redemption.
Characters to notice
- Balthasar
The Egyptian wise man who speaks for the trio, declaring that God sent them to find the Redeemer.
- Melchior
The Hindu wise man who feels the Spirit burning within him and urges the group to proceed to Bethlehem.
- Gaspar
The Greek wise man who impulsively suggests following the king's advice to go to Bethlehem.
- Herod the Great
The suspicious and manipulative king who questions the wise men and secretly plots against the newborn king.
- Hillel
The venerable patriarch who, in a prior scene, confirms the prophecy that the Christ will be born in Bethlehem.
- Simon
Hillel's son, who assists his father after the council with the doctors and lawyers.
Key passages
“There is an Almighty God. He bade us come hither, promising that we should find the Redeemer of the World; that we should see and worship him, and bear witness that he was come; and, as a sign, we were each given to see a star.”
Balthasar declares that God commanded them to come, promising they would find the world's Redeemer, worship him, and testify to his arrival, with a star as their sign.
Balthasar's testimony to Herod about their divine mission.
“Go thither; go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him bring me word again, that I may come and worship him.”
Herod instructs the wise men to go to Bethlehem, find the child, and report back so he can also worship him.
Herod's deceitful command, masking his true intent to harm the child.
“God is with us! God is with us! they repeated, in frequent cheer, all the way, until the star, rising out of the valley beyond Mar Elias, stood still over a house up on the slope of the hill near the town.”
The wise men joyfully exclaim that God is with them as they follow the star, which finally stops over a house near Bethlehem.
The climactic moment when the star leads them to the Christ child's location.