I have the book - but it doesn’t seem to fit the movie.
And .. my usual gripe about the portrayal of Jesus was as expected. The King of Glory would not have gone around in ragged, filthy clothing, grossly unwashed hair, dirt on his face; I just can’t buy it. In the movie Ben Hur, Jesus was portrayed as appropriately dressed, but with a clean face, body and hair. It’s the only way I can picture HIM.
AND .. I NEVER COULD PICTURE JESUS AS AN ARAB - BECAUSE JESUS WAS JEWISH - WHICH MEANS HE HAD LIGHTER COLORED SKIN THAN THE ARABS. AND - TO HAVE A MEMBER OF ISLAM PORTRAY JESUS IS A FARCE.
I will not be wasting my money.
Ancient Jews were more semetic than they are now. Arabs are also semetic. Jews having lighter skin is the result of the diaspora when Jews were forced to leave their homeland. Ancient Jews, Phoenicians, Arabs probably all looked very similar.
Jesus’s face is never shown in “Ben Hur”. It was what made that portrayal very special.
Perhaps you are thinking of “King of Kings” in which Jeffrey Hunter played Jesus. That one fits your description perfectly.