My daughters and I found Cecil B. DeMille's
The Ten Commandments on TV over Easter weekend. We watched parts of it together. I was struck by Mr. DeMille's deft portrayals of the power of women. Princess Nefertiri surely showed woman at her worst, vain, selfish, lustful; bitter, and vengeful. Sephora (or Zipporah in Hebrew) was a woman at her best. I loved this speech she made after Moses put off choosing a wife from her sisters. Of course, after this speech he chose her. I had to find it and put it where my daughters could refer to it again.
Sephora:
She was very beautiful,
wasn't she?
This woman of Egypt, who left
her scar upon your heart.
Moses:
Her skin was white as curd,
her eyes green
as the cedars of Lebanon,
her lips, tamarisk honey.
Like the breast of a dove,
her arms were soft...
and the wine of desire
was in her veins.
Yes.
She was beautiful...
as a jewel.
Sephora:
A jewel has brilliant fire,
but it gives no warmth.
Our hands are not so soft,
but they can serve.
Our bodies not so white,
but they are strong.
Our lips are not perfumed,
but they speak the truth.
Love is not an art to us.
It's life to us.
We are not dressed
in gold and fine linen.
Strength and honor
are our clothing.
Our tents are not the columned
halls of Egypt,
but our children
play happily before them.
We can offer you little...
but we offer all we have.
