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.
Carol Wallace is the great-great-granddaughter of Lew Wallace, author of the novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ which was first published in 1880. Carol has written more than 20 books including most recently an historical novel, Leaving Van Gogh. She is the co-author of the New York Times best-seller To Marry an English Lord, an inspiration for "Downton Abbey." Carol holds degrees from Princeton University and Columbia University.