Ben-Hur is born roughly at the same time as Christ, but the reader first encounters Ben-Hur at the age of 15 or 16. He is meeting an old friend of his, Messala, who has been away in Rome for the past five years. Messala is Roman by birth and has become cruel and arrogant in his time away, mocking Ben-Hur’s country and religion, and Ben-Hur
Ben Hur: With Joseph Morgan, Stephen Campbell Moore, Emily VanCamp, Kristin Kreuk. A young Jewish prince seeks revenge after an old friend wrongly imprisons him and his family.
Summaries. Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army, returns to his homeland after years at sea to seek revenge, but finds redemption. A Jewish nobleman, Judah Ben-Hur, and his adopted Roman brother Messala are best friends despite their different origins.