Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

Young Arrius, the adopted son of Roman nobleman Arrius, is known as the most accomplished chariot racer in all the Roman Empire. Arrius is one of only a few people who know that his adopted son is really a former Jewish slave, more specifically Prince Judah, Ben-Hur, who was thought to have perished as a Roman galley slave. Young Arrius decides to accept the offer of an Egyptian to race his horses in an upcoming chariot race, but only on the condition he be identified as the Unknown Jew, so that he can exact his revenge on a Roman Tribune named Messala. Messala was a childhood friend of Ben-Hur's, but an action by Messala as a Roman Tribune led to Ben-Hur losing his wealth, being split from his family and being imprisoned as a galley slave. Ben-Hur's other priorities in life are to find his mother and sister, to reconnect with Esther, the daughter of the Hur's steward, Simonides, who he loves, and to free the Jews from the oppression of the Romans through the insurrection as King a young man believed by many to be the Messiah, he who was born in a manger in Bethlehem.