The story of Miriam (the "Pearl Maiden"), an orphan who grows up in a colony of the Essenes. They educate her and teach her a trade, but because of the rules of their order, they must send her out into the world. She goes to live with her grandfather, a powerful Jewish merchant who hates Roman rule and helps defend Jerusalem from Titus's forces. Miriam, who has kept her Christian faith, finds herself falling in love with a Roman officer. But things get even more complicated when she learns of the love of a young Jewish boy with whom she has been raised. A tale of romance and adventure from master storyteller H. Rider Haggard.