Princess Salome (Rita Hayworth) is the daughter of King Herod (Charles Laughton) of Galilee. Cast out after her affair with Caesar's nephew, Salome finds herself back in the kingdom of her father when she falls in love with Claudius (Stewart Granger), the commander of her father's army. Meanwhile, Salome's evil mother, Queen Herodias, is continually being condemned by John the Baptist, and plotting to use Salome as a tool to get the prophet executed.