The main area of interest of the thesis on Ben-Hur and its four film adaptations is to compare the adaptations with the source text and observe changes, additions and omissions in the adapted versions. Furthermore, the thesis studies political and social phenomena in the society which could affect the outcome of adapting the novel. As four film adaptations of Ben-Hur were created throughout the entire twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century during different époques, the thesis compares how adapted versions reflect some of the issues in the society such as the approach to war, slavery, Jews, Christianity, women and minorities.