The Prince of Egypt

"My son, I have nothing I can give, but this chance
that you may live." 

With these words, Yocheved, a Hebrew mother,
places her infant son in a basket and sets him
adrift on the Nile River. His sister Miriam follows
him along the riverbank to ensure its safety. After a
perilous journey, the basket floats near the royal
palace, where it is spotted by the Queen. As she
approaches the basket with her young son nearby,
she marvels at the beautiful infant boy inside. She
names the baby Moses and adopts him as her
own. 

Moses is raised in the opulence of the royal palace
along with Rameses, whom he believes to be his
older brother. The two grow very close, enjoying the
playfulness of youth and building a powerful and
deep friendship. One day as the two careen through
the city streets in their chariots, they accidentally
destroy a nearby temple, angering their father, the
Pharaoh Seti. He is particularly disappointed in
Rameses, whose conduct as the future Pharaoh is
held up to greater scrutiny. Moses immediately
takes the blame for the incident and pleads with his
father not to hold Rameses responsible.

That night at a banquet, Seti announces he is
naming Rameses the new Prince Regent to
oversee the construction of all temples. Proud of
his brother's new post, Moses calls for a
celebration. He orders the crafty High Priests Hotep
and Huy to pay tribute to their new Regent with a
spectacular magic act. With a burst of smoke they
present Rameses with a special gift -- Tzipporah, a
feisty Bedouin woman. Rameses, in turn, awards
her to Moses, and orders her taken to his room.
Rameses then proudly appoints his brother as his
assistant. 

As Moses trudges through the desert, he removes
the trappings of his palace life. He is caught in a
blinding sandstorm, but is eventually rescued by a
mischievous camel and finds himself in a Midianite
village, where he encounters Tzipporah and her
family. Jethro, Tzipporah's father and the High
Priest of Midian, welcomes him into their tribe. As
the years pass, Moses and Tzipporah fall in love
and build a contented life as humble shepherds.
One day as Moses goes in search of a wayward
sheep, he comes across an unearthly sight -- a
burning bush that is not consumed by the flames.
To Moses' amazement, he hears the voice of God,
calling upon him to return to Egypt and free the
Hebrew people. 

Filled with purpose, Moses returns to Egypt, where
he discovers that with the passing of years the
Pharaoh Seti has died and Rameses has become
Pharaoh. Rameses is overjoyed by his brother's
return. But when Moses tells him about his mission
to free the Hebrew slaves, Rameses reacts with
disbelief and scorn. Though Moses tries to
convince Rameses of God's power, Rameses is
unimpressed. He responds to Moses' demands by
doubling the workload of the slaves. Through the
guidance of his sister Miriam, Moses summons the
courage to confront Rameses again. But Rameses
refuses to comply even when he sees the Nile river
turned to blood before his eyes. 

Finally, as Moses warned Rameses, God brings a
series of plagues to overrun the land. Although the
Egyptian people become more and more afflicted
by disease, famine and pestilence, Rameses
refuses to give in. That night, God speaks to
Moses, warning him of one final plague. 

Ending

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