Ezra Reads the Law to the People

Prompt

Nehemiah 8: Ezra the scribe stands on a wooden pulpit before the Water Gate and opens the book of the law of Moses before all the people, and they stand up and weep as they hear it. Ezra, in his white priestly turban and blue mantle, stands large and central on the raised wooden platform holding a great open scroll in both hands, its columns of realistic ancient Paleo-Hebrew letters in dark ink visible, his face solemn and glowing; Nehemiah, in his indigo governor's mantle and wrapped headdress, stands just beside the platform, and below them a few men and women lift their hands and weep with joy. Bright morning sun on the city wall and the Water Gate behind. Only the ancient Paleo-Hebrew writing on the scroll; no other writing anywhere. 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.