The plot begins with the portrayal of the Massacre of the Innocents in the Nativity. The remainder of the movie portrays the annunciation (conception) and birth of Jesus Christ to explain why King Herod the Great (Ciarán Hinds) ordered the murder.
Clavius, a powerful Roman Centurion, is charged by Pontius Pilate to investigate the rumors of a risen Jewish messiah and to locate the missing body of Yeshua (Jesus of Nazareth) in order to quell an imminent uprising in Jerusalem during the first 40 days following Christ's resurrection.
The film consists of five main sections: The Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, and the story of Abraham. There are also a pair of shorter sections, one recounting the building of the Tower of Babel, and the other the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The sections vary greatly in tone. The story of Abraham is somber and reverential, while that of Noah repeatedly focuses on his love of all animals—herbivorous and carnivorous or omnivorous. Cats (including lions) drink milk, with Noah's relationship with the animals being depicted harmoniously. It was originally conceived as the first in a series of films retelling the entire Old Testament, but these sequels were never made.
The film begins with a clip from the previous film, showing its central characters Marcellus and Diana going to be martyred for their Christian beliefs on the order of Emperor Caligula. Before being executed, Diana hands the robe to Marcellus' servant Marcipor (David Leonard), telling him that it is "for the Big Fisherman," meaning Peter, who was a fisherman before being called as an apostle.
Bob the Tomato is driving Dad Asparagus and some of the Veggie children to see the popular singer "Twippo" in concert. Meanwhile, Laura Carrot is taunting the other children because she won a backstage pass. Her taunting makes Dad Asparagus accidentally hit Bob, who loses control of the vehicle. Laura loses her backstage pass as the vehicle loses control and careens down a hill, stopping short of a river.
The film is framed as a group of performers who travel to the desert to re-enact the Passion of Christ. The film begins with them arriving on a bus, assembling their props, and getting into costume. One of the group (Neeley) is surrounded by the others, puts on a white robe, and emerges as Jesus Christ.
Ce film est basé sur l'histoire de Saül de Tarse, juif citoyen romain, devenu Paulus (Paul) après sa conversion, apôtre du Christ, emprisonné au Tullianum par l'empereur Néron alors que Luc l'évangéliste cherche à le rencontrer. Le prisonnier se remémore sa vie, lorsqu'il s'appelait Saul et qu'il persécutait les chrétiens avant de se convertir au christianisme après avoir rencontré Jésus-Christ ressuscité.
Brian Cohen is born in a stable next door to the one in which Jesus is born, which initially confuses the three wise men who come to praise the future King of the Jews. Brian grows up an idealistic young man who resents the continuing Roman occupation of Judea. While attending Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, Brian becomes infatuated with an attractive young rebel, Judith. His desire for her and hatred for the Romans lead him to join the People's Front of Judea, one of many fractious and bickering independence movements, who spend more time fighting each other than the Romans.
Signs of the apocalypse are appearing, along with a mysterious wanderer. Father Lucci (Peter Friedman) is the Vatican official investigating them. He dismisses the occurrences as natural, but Abby Quinn (Demi Moore) believes that they are real.
Follow the adventures of a bold lamb (Judah) and his stable friends as they try to avoid the sacrificial alter the week preceding the crucifixion of Christ. It is a heart-warming account of the Easter story as seen through the eyes of a lovable pig (Horace), a faint-hearted horse (Monty), a pedantic rat (Slink), a rambling rooster (Drake), a motherly cow (Esmay) and a downtrodden donkey (Jack). This magnificent period piece with its epic sets is a roller coaster ride of emotions. Enveloped in humor, this quest follows the animals from the stable in Bethlehem to the great temple in Jerusalem and onto the hillside of Calvary as these unlikely heroes try to save their friend. The journey weaves seamlessly through the biblical accounts of Palm Sunday, Jesus turning the tables in the temple, Peter's denial and with a tense, heart-wrenching climax, depicts the crucifixion and resurrection with gentleness and breathtaking beauty. For Judah, the lamb with the heart of a lion, it is a story of courage and faith. For Jack, the disappointed donkey, it becomes a pivotal voyage of hope. For Horace, the, well the dirty pig, and Drake the ignorant rooster, it is an opportunity to do something inappropriate and get into trouble.
In 63 BC, Pompey conquers Jerusalem and the city is sacked. He enters the Temple to seize the treasure of Solomon and massacres the priests there. He discovers that the treasure is only a collection of scrolls of the Torah. These he holds over a fire until an old priest reaches for them imploringly. Pompey relents and hands them to the old man.
The movie is set in Susa, Persia (now Iran). King Xerxes holds a great feast for all the people to attend. Hadassah (the main protagonist) longs to go to Jerusalem to see the Holy Land and prepares to leave with the caravan along with her friend, Jesse. They stop by the King's feast before he goes marching to war to avenge his father’s death. Hadassah and Jesse witness the King summoning Queen Vashti. Queen Vashti was opposed to the war, desiring King Xerxes to enhance his kingdom instead. She holds her own feast in protest to the war. When the king summons her to his own feast, she refuses to come stating, "I am queen, and I will not lower my dignity. Or shame my crown by wearing it before your drunk, and thinly veiled war council". Because of this, King Xerxes is advised to banish her and select a more worthy queen.
The film's theme differs substantially from Biblical sources and is highly fictionalized, most notably in representing the Queen of Sheba as an ally of ancient Egypt in opposition to King Solomon of Israel, and in her having a love affair with Solomon.