Summary !Spoilers!

Introduction:

In the year of our Lord, Judea, for nearly a century, had lain under the mastery of Rome. In the seventh year of the reign of Augustus Caesar, an imperial decree ordered every Judean each to return to his place of birth to be counted and taxed. The converging ways of many of them led to the gates of their capital city, Jerusalem, the troubled heart of their land. The old city was dominated by the fortress of Antonia, the seat of Roman power, and by the great golden temple, the outward sign of an inward and imperishable faith. Even while they obeyed the will of Caesar, the people clung proudly to their ancient heritage, always remembering the promise of their prophets that one day there would be born among them a redeemer to bring them salvation and perfect freedom.


Also beginning with the very familiar scene where a child is born in a stable and visited by three wise men, the actual story is set about two dozen years later.

When the Roman Messalah returns to Judeah, where he spend his childhood, now in command of the garrison as he always dreamed he would. Happily he greets his old friend whom he played and hunted with when they were boys - Judah Ben Hur. Judah happens to be a very wealthy and influencial man among his people and Messalah hopes to gain through him better control and inside information.

But as Judah makes clear that he won't do more than speaking out for a peaceful solution, Messalah unable to see anything beyond his career, turns against his old friend. An accident during a parade which is misread as an assassinatin attempt against the new ?????, gets Judah and his family arrested.

Messalah knows the true nature of the incident but keeps going, knowing that people will fear him if he sends an old friend without any hesitation to the galleys. While his mother and sister remain behind in the garrison prison, Judah is sent on a cruel march to the desert. Parched they rest at a well, where the Roman in command doesn't want Judah to get any water.

Desperate Judah pleads to god for help, which is answered by a certain carpenter's son giving him water. The Roman commander wants to protest but looking at Judah's helper he can't go through with it. All the more convinced that god is on his site and filled with hatred, he managed to stay alive on the galleys for over three years.

One day Quintus Arrius is appointed to lead a group of galleys into battle against Macedonian pirates. Coming aboard Judah's ship he is soon intrigued by his will and intelligence and offers him a position as Gladiator. During the battle Arrius orders Judah to be unchained, when all the other slaves are to prevent them from fleeing in critical battle situations.

As the ship is rammed Judah unchains his comrads and then set upon deck where he watches Arrius getting thrown off board sinking with his heavy armor. Judah sets after him and pulls him onto a peace of floating wood. But the battle was nonetheless a triumph for the Romans and the grateful Quintus Arrius takes him back to Rome, where Judah becomes a successful unbeatable star in the chariot races in the colosseum.

The old Arrius even adopts him and lets Judah who can't forget his mother and sister and needs to go and find out if they are still alive. Bearing now the name of a famous Roman citizien he makes one hell of an entrance at Messalah's place, after visiting his home to find it chattered with nobody knowing about his mother and sister.

Both are still imprisoned and have become lepers after spending all those years in the dark, murky cells. Being released they visit their own home but the don't want Judah to know what's happened to them. Esther, Judah's former slave and daughter of Simonides, who handled Judah's trade and money affairs, agrees to keep their secret. She has always been in love with him and despite fearing Judah might go out for revenge, she tells him that both have been dead a long time.

Judah is indeed angry and goes away to meet with Sheik Ilderim whom he had meet traveling from Rome back home. The Sheik has beautiful horses and is only looking for the right man to lead them to success in the great chariot races in Judeah where Messalah has won four years in a row. Being only tempted before, he know accepts the offer and sets to race against Messalah.

During a race everything goes, there are no rules and Messalah tries every trick to get Judah out of the race, but his schemes fire back and his chariot breaks away and he is dragged over the sand and trampled over by horses. Judah wins the race, but his success is spoiled as the dying Messalah reveals the true fate of his mother and sister.

Judah becomes even more upset as he sees Esther bringing food to them and thus knows she had been lying to him. But admist the arguing they pass Jesus as he is holding one of his famous speeches and they come up with the idea that hearing him talk might comfort the two women in their miserable situation.

But instead of visiting another prayer Ester, Judah, Miriam (the mother) and Tirzah (the sister) become witnesses to Jesus carrying the heavy cross through the streets. Judah feels obliged to help the man, who gave him water but isn't as successful and decides to stay along till the end. An experience that affects Judah so deeply that he abandons all intentions of taking revenge.

Unknown at that moment his mother and sister are healed and when he comes home to Esther he isn't only greeted by the woman who loves him but also by his family being brought back to him.

THE END