Shamed Envoys Wait Near Jericho

Prompt

2 Samuel 10: The Israelite envoys sent to comfort the new Ammonite king Hanun return humiliated, half of each man's beard shaved off and their robes cut short, and are told by the king's word to tarry at Jericho until their beards grow. Two of the envoys are large and central under the palm trees of Jericho, one hiding the shaved half of his face behind the edge of his mantle, the other wrapped in a long borrowed cloak, both looking down in deep shame. A royal messenger stands before them with a gentle, consoling gesture. Lush date palms, a spring and the bright green oasis of Jericho with the hazy hills beyond in warm morning light; humiliation met with compassion. Style: a blend of photo-realism and cinema, like a still from a big-budget film. Bright, rich, saturated, luminous colour, clear daylight or glowing golden light even in dramatic scenes, never murky or muddy, crisp detail, real human faces full of emotion, shallow depth of field, subtle film grain. Simple, uncluttered composition: ONE clear scene from this chapter, with the chapter's main character or characters large, close and central in the upper and middle frame, and a simple background. No montage, no collage, no inset vignettes, no crowd of small figures competing for attention. Historically accurate ancient Near Eastern clothing, architecture and landscape. Keep the bottom quarter of the frame simple and uncluttered (ground, water or sky) so a large chapter number can be set over it. Absolutely no text, no letters, no words, no numbers, no logos, no watermark, no border, no frame.