fans included william jennings bryan, who claimed it was "the greatest play on stage when measured by its religious tone and more effect". its popularity is credited with introducing stage shows to a new audience, "many of them devout churchgoers who'd previously been suspicious of the stage". adaptations of other novels with biblical settings followed "ben-hur" to the stage. these included "quo vadis" in 1901 and "judith of bethulia" in 1904.