The Tabernacle Press
A fairy tale about the golden calf is ritually enacted
FADE IN:
EXT. PATH FROM VILLAGE – TWILIGHT
A procession of about forty children walking two by two up a path from a village seen in the distance.
EXT. TABERNACLE – TWILIGHT
Outside a large tent, AARON, a greying but muscular man, watches the procession. Behind him, several men are working on a large and complex contraption composed of wood and rope. It resembles a middle-age printing press but we cannot yet see details. Aaron is holding and adjusting a mask with long grey hair attached.
EXT. PATH FROM VILLAGE – TWILIGHT
At the head of the procession is MIRIAM, a middle-aged woman, walking tall and proud with purpose, head high.
Miriam:
Is Joshua keeping up?
ELIEZER is a boy around ten years old walking just behind Miriam. He carries a sack and a mask resembling the head of a golden calf.
Eliezer:
(Looking toward the back of the procession)
He’s in the back.
Miriam:
Keep an eye on him.
At the back of the procession, JOSHUA and BENJAMIN, two boys around eight years old, are last in line. Benjamin is rhythmically banging two sticks together and seems to be enjoying himself. Joshua is kicking stones while walking and looking annoyed.
Joshua:
This is absurd
Benjamin:
It’s fun!
EXT. RITUAL GROUND – TWILIGHT
The procession moves past a row of soldiers with swords, facing away from the children and toward the mountain. The children arrive at a large, rock-encircled fire pit with a fire burning.
Miriam:
(lively, animated, clapping her hands for the children’s attention)
Sit, sit, sit now! Come now, children.
The children sit in a large semi-circle in front of Miriam who is between them and the fire. Miriam scans the children and they settle down, becoming quiet. They watch her with anticipation.
Miriam:
Eliezer is going to begin. Now, everyone, watch and listen because you will be helping soon.
And next year, you might begin for us.
Eliezer, full of confidence, jumps up in front of the group, wearing an oversized mask of a golden calf. He yells and growls.
Eliezer:
Rahhhhhhhhhhh!!
Children yell with a combination of fear and excitement. The older ones laugh. Eliezer runs and hops in front of the group.
Miriam:
Calm, calm, all is well, all is well! It’s the golden calf!
Children:
The golden calf! The golden calf!
Miriam:
Let’s hear what the golden calf has to say! Quiet now – listen, listen
Eliezer:
I am the golden calf! Only I can keep the prophet away!
Only I can protect you! What is my secret? What must you do?
Miriam:
What must we do, children?
Child 1:
Run and hide!
Eliezer:
(Roaring)
No, no, no! You must not run and hide!
If you ride and hide – the prophet will return!
What happens when the prophet returns?
Miriam:
What happens, children?
Benjamin jumps up with a mask in one hand and a wooden sword in the other.
Benjamin:
I know, I know!
Miriam:
Yes, Benjamin, tell us!
Benjamin is wearing a costume similar to the Levite soldiers in the background. He speaks as if reciting a lesson, and while speaking he dons a mask, raises a wooden sword and turns around sharply.
Benjamin:
When the prophet returns, the Levites will turn around to face us.
In the distance, soldiers with swords have their backs to the children and the reflection of the fire flickers on their backs.
Benjamin:
They will draw their swords!
They will charge against us. And cut us into pieces!
Benjamin roars and swings his sword over his head and the children scream and run around the fire.
Miriam:
But they are not doing this, children! Children, sit down, sit down.
Because the gold calf will keep them at bay. But we must help the golden calf!
What must we do? Who’s next? Come on. Sarah, where are you? Sarah is next.
SARAH, a girl about ten years old, walks over to Eliezer carrying a basket with loaves of bread. She hands Eliezer a piece of bread. Miriam nods to Eliezer.
Eliezer:
What is this you are giving me?
Sarah:
This is our best bread – I made this myself. Well, mother helped.
Eliezer:
And why are you giving me this bread?
Sarah:
(Like a lesson being recited)
Because if we take care of the Golden Calf,
you will protect us from the prophet and the Levites.
Eliezer:
(Takes off his mask and takes a giant bite of bread)
That is correct!
Everyone laughs and claps. They pass the basket around and everyone take a piece of bread and holds it in front of them.
Miriam:
We eat this bread as an offering to the golden calf,
to give the calf energy to fight the prophet and the Levites.
As we grow strong, the golden calf grows strong.
The children eat the bread.
Miriam:
Are you feeling energetic now?
Children:
(Yelling joyfully)
Yes!
Miriam:
Good, good! Because now it is time to bring the golden calf to life!
Go now! Go now!
The children get up and start running around the fire and making noise. They sing and dance around the golden calf.
CUT TO:
EXT. TABERNACLE TENT - NIGHT
Aaron watches from the entrance of the tabernacle. From his point of view, we see the children running and yelling around the fire.
CUT TO:
EXT. CAMP - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
We see what is in Aaron’s mind: a massacre in progress, with screaming and swords stabbing and hacking at the children.
CUT TO:
EXT. TABERNACLE TENT – NIGHT
Returning to the present, Aaron watches the children and Miriam approaches him.
Miriam:
Now your part, brother. Do well.
Aaron scowls.
Miriam:
Oh stop looking so sour – you love this.
Aaron:
Stop making a game of this!
Miriam:
(Not taking him seriously)
Of course it has to be a game.
What else would you do?
Beat your lessons into them?
Aaron:
Our lessons. Yes, maybe just so, for their own good.
Miriam:
Off you go. It’s more powerful when they’re still at it.
Aaron:
Well keep them going then!
Miriam heads back to the children while Aaron leaves in the opposite direction.
Miriam:
(To the children)
Do you see? The calf is responding to you!
You are controlling the calf! Tell the calf what you want!
What do you want?
Children:
Protect us from the prophet! Protect us from the prophet!
Miriam:
And where is this prophet!
Children:
High up on the mountain!
He’s high up on the mountain!
The children noisily chant and dance around the fire. Some chant “Protect us from the prophet!” Some chant “He’s high up on the mountain!”
Miriam:
Make the Golden Calf strong! Protect us from the Prophet!
He’s high up on the mountain! Louder and faster, children!
Louder and faster! Tell me why! Who knows why?
Miriam sees Joshua off to the side, not participating. He looks as if he is studying the ritual, scanning the scene.
Miriam:
Joshua, tell us why!
Joshua:
(Not believing what he is saying)
If we are powerful enough then we will become the golden calf.
Miriam:
(Watching Joshua with concern)
Yes, you will become the golden calf.
And then you can keep the prophet away.
You will all work together to keep the prophet away.
The running and the noise rise to a fever pitch.
The sound of a shofar (a ram’s horn) suddenly cuts through the frenzy and everyone freezes.
The golden calf turns toward the sound.
A soldier is blowing the shofar. He finishes after several long blows and then points toward the mountain.
CUT TO:
EXT. ROCK LEDGE – NIGHT
In the moonlight, we see a man standing on a rock ledge. Moses is played by Aaron, who is wearing a mask with long grey hair attached. He stands perfectly still holding two stone tablets. Everything goes quiet.
EXT. RITUAL GROUND – NIGHT
The soldiers in the distance slowly and in unison turn and face the children. Their hands are resting on the handles of their swords.
The children are frozen, watching. Some look terrified.
The soldiers march in formation to form a path to the entrance of the tabernacle tent. They line both sides of the path.
Miriam:
Children sit down, sit down, quickly, quietly.
Listen to me – listen to me carefully.
We’re not yet ready to fight the prophet.
We must work hard to be ready.
But we’re not yet strong enough.
One day we will be strong enough – we will be ready.
But today, the golden calf cannot protect us.
So, line up behind me, everyone.
Quickly and quietly. Form a line.
The children form a line behind Miriam at the entrance of the path created by the soldiers.
Once the line is established and still, Miriam and the children begin slowing walking down the soldier-lined path to the entrance of the tabernacle tent. We hear a rhythmic sound of rock striking rock.
CUT TO:
INT. TABERNACLE – NIGHT
Two soldiers escort Miriam from the tent entrance to the contraption, which we see for the first time.
The device is reminiscent of several machines made of wood and rope: a middle age printing press, a guillotine, a loom, a dumbwaiter. We hear noises of the device including rhythmic banging of wood against wood and stone against stone. We hear the noise of rope pulleys.
Aaron moves his arms and hands as if conducting the soldiers who are operating the machine. They move levers, pullies and control wheels. We see the stone tablets being lifted within wooden railings.
Miriam is laid down onto a wooden pallet with a carved outline of a human. The palette is then maneuvered by the device, sliding her into its centre.
There is a pause in the noise, all is quiet. Then Aaron gives a signal and a control is pulled.
The stone tablets slide down rails and stop with a loud crack of stone within inches of Miriam’s face. Miriam is startled and then relieved. We see her eyes move as she reads the text on the stone tablets which we cannot see.
Miriam, on the palette, slides out of the device and two soldiers help her up. She approaches Aaron and kisses his cheek.
We see a sequence of children in line experiencing the same routine as Miriam: they are escorted in, laid onto the palette which slides into place, the tablets fall into position in front of their face.
Joshua is the last child in line.
Blood-red covered tablets print text onto tent canvas. We cannot yet see what is written.
The canvas is being hung like wallpaper on the inside of the tabernacle.
Only during the last moment of the scene do we see what the text says:
I am that I am
Responsible and accountable
Guilty of divine error
Guilty of divine horror
INT. MODERN DINING ROOM – NIGHT
A Passover Seder is in progress. The family includes the same actors and actresses who played Miriam, Aaron, Eliezer, Sarah, Benjamin and Joshua. Miriam reads from a book as others follow along. Everyone looks engaged in the solemn moment, except for Joshua who is surreptitiously playing on his phone.
Miriam:
Once each year, Moses descends from the top of Sinai with a message from God.
We remain vigilant and beware prophets descending mountains with stone tablets.
They may cause death and destruction, or they may carry messages we must hear.
One night each year, on this special night, listen!
Listen closely, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
FADE OUT
