Balthazar of Alexandria (Ben-Hur)

Balthazar of Alexandria was a secondary protagonist in the Lew Wallace novel Ben-Hur and the movies based upon the novel.

Balthazar, along with Melchior and Caspar was one of the three wise men to witness the birth of Jesus Christ, and paid homage to Jesus and his family shortly after the birth.

Around 29 AD Balthazar returned to Judea in the company of Shiek Ilderim, hoping to find the infant he had paid homage too many years earlier, who was now a young man about to start his work. Stopping at an oasis, Balthazar met Judah Ben-Hur and wondered briefly if this was the man he was searching for.

That evening Hur admitted to Balthazar that the Roman tribune Messala was an enemy of his. Balthazar tried to counsel Hur not to kill Messala, stating that no matter what he had done it wasn't Hur's place to take his life, that God would attend to the matter.

Balthazar soon succeeded in his quest to find the young man he was searching for. He attempted to persuade Hur to come along, however Hur rebuffed him, saying he had business with Rome.

Later Balthazar was one of many who witnessed the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. When Hur told Balthazar that this is what his search led him too, Balthazar remarked that this was why Jesus had come into the world. He remarked that he had lived too long.

Novel
In the novel Balthazar was accompanied by his daughter Iras. Iras left her father to become the lover of Messala. Balthazar was gifted with a vision by Jesus of what he was talking about when he referred to the Kingdom, that it was not of this world. Balthazar died a short time later, feeling fulfilled and content with the knowledge Christ had shared with him.