Lew Wallace. Ben-Hur

14 BCE… The birth of Christianity. The Roman Empire expands its dominion. Judea is conquered. Two childhood friends, the Jew Judah Ben-Hur and the Roman tribune Messala, meet after many years apart. They realize their former relationship is impossible: Judah sympathizes with his people's struggle for liberation, while Messala demands that he betray his compatriots. Ben-Hur is exiled to the galleys, his mother and sister imprisoned. Long years of hardship not only do not weaken Judah, but also give him the strength to return to the Promised Land, where a new life awaits him.