In the days of Caesar Augustus, when Herod reigned in Jerusalem, Wise Men of the ancient Magi of the East explore the secrets of the heavens. When they see a new star in the sky, they understand its significance and set out on a journey to find the promised prince. But one of the Magi is unexpectedly delayed in his travels and misses his rendezvous with his brethren. Sit is is that Artaban and his small companion, jerboa, begin a lifetime quest to find the promised Messiah, a pilgrimage in which the fourth Wise Man discovers that there are some kinds of failure that are far better than success.