A proud first century Jew, Judah Ben Hur is wrongly sent to the galleys through a bizarre quirk of fate and betrayal by his best friend, the Roman noble Messala. Miraculously, Judah Ben Hur returns to Palestine an honored Roman citizen, bringing with him a ravenous appetite for settling old scores and toppling a government. In reality, Judah is doomed to destroy his own hardening soul, unless he can come to grips with someone more powerful than his hatred: Jesus Christ.