It is 45 AD and Narcissus tests Centurion Cato with his first command – a posting in Judea, on the very fringe of the empire. Cato must replace the existing commander of the unit and restore the competence of the cohort. However, Cato faces another challenge as, outside of the camp, a religious fanatic, Maccabeas, a one-time follower of Jehoshua (later known as Jesus), preaches violent opposition to Rome and his fiery rhetoric stirs up the locals.

At first only small Roman patrols are attacked but quickly the local uprising threatens to spread. In order to crush the revolt, Cato must stamp out the corruption in the cohort and restore it to fighting fitness. It is a tall order and if Cato fails, not only will his career be at risk but also the entire eastern flank of the empire...