A condemned criminal named Barabbas is unexpectedly freed when the crowd chooses to spare his life over that of Jesus of Nazareth, an event that haunts him for years afterwards. Unable to escape the shadow of the man who died in his place, he drifts through a troubled existence, searching for meaning and grappling with questions of faith and guilt. The story follows his long journey across the ancient world as he witnesses the early spread of Christianity and is slowly drawn towards belief.