When Judah Ben-Hur’s childhood friend Messala returns to Judea indoctrinated by Roman teachings, he cruelly mocks Judah’s Jewish beliefs. Messala is working for the new Roman governor, Gratus, who has planned an inaugural parade through the city streets. As Judah watches the scene unfold from his palace rooftop, he accidentally dislodges a loose tile from his house, which hits the leader. Messala, seeing an opportunity to undercut his former friend, ensures that Ben-Hur is harshly sentenced without a trial and that his mother and sister are unjustly imprisoned. Sent to the galleys to live out his days as a slave, Judah vows to one day return and seek his revenge. But as Ben-Hur becomes a follower of a carpenter whom he believes will make war against the Romans, he soon learns that earthly revenge is not the way of Christ.<br><br>This classic bestselling novel, also a major motion picture, has now been updated and revised by the great-granddaughter of the original author.