The Chariot Race

     One of the most exciting scenes in cinema history is the unforgettable chariot race in "Ben Hur." The epic spectacle of a stadium rivaling the great Circus in Rome, cheering and jeering throngs of people, and a grand chariot race turned blood-sport--hero versus villain--all as Pontius Pilate looked on, has rarely been rivaled, before or since.

     But could there ever have been such a race? Possibly.

     Although some today might argue that no such circus ever existed in ancient Palestine, the Jewish historian Josephus, would seem to disagree. During the reign of Herod the Great, two cities in Palestine, Dor (in Assyria) and Samaria, hosted Olympic-style and gladiatorial games. In these cities, Herod built massive stadiums and theaters for that very purpose. Josephus reported that in Samaria, 100-ft. high marble pillars were visible from the seashore. And in Dor, the king built a magnificent hippodrome for chariot races and other spectacles even bigger than the ones in Rome. It was his intention to make his kingdom the jewel of the world. (Modesty was never his long suit.)

     Whether a prince of Judah ever battled an evil Roman tribune is a matter of speculation...but King Herod certainly wanted to make sure it could have happened.

Acknowledgments: 1, 2, 3


© Russ Brown, 1997
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