Marilyn Mercur

MIRIAM’S PROPHECY


(First two lines are to be sung to the tune of “Here she is, Miss America”)

Here she is, Prophet Miriam
Hearken well what she says!

Good evening,

I’m here on behalf of Prophet Miriam. Prophet Miriam doesn’t rant and she doesn’t rave.

Prophet Miriam, daughter of Amram, was my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother. She was born in the year 2,361 … of, if you wish, in 1400 BCE.

Her father, Amram, took Jochebed, his father’s sister as his wife, and, as it says in Exodus 6, Chapter 20, she bore him Aaron and Moses. Exodus doesn’t even mention my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother.

No matter. We know how important she was. We know that if it weren’t for her, Moses … well, who knows what would have become of Moses …

… unless there was this “intelligent design” thing, which is in such favor with some of your 21st century brothers and sisters.

PROPHET MIRIAM came to me last night in a dream. She was concerned. She knows your worries and fears. She knows the world is in terrible disarray. She knows there are too many SUVs on the road. She knows there’s apathy and lethargy. She knows your president can’t pronounce Nu-clear. And he’s embarrassing the entire country with a syntax that even a Chimpanzee could improve. She knows the planet is being destroyed … that there are too many people … that the ozone layer is vanishing.

And if you think it was bad having leprosy, she says, look out for skin cancer. USE SUN BLOCK!

And you know that “Song of the Sea” …

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel, this song unto the Lord, and spoke, saying: I will sing unto the Lord, for He is highly exalted … etc. etc.”

Well, my great, great, great, great (you got the picture) grandmother WROTE THE MUSIC … and SHE WROTE THE WORDS! No copyright in those days.

But it’s true – Miriam the Prophetess, sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam sang unto them:

“Sing ye to the Lord, for he is highly exalted: The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.

She told me she was sorry about the horse.

Did she impart any prophecies in the dream? Only these did she leave:

BEWARE FALSE PROPHETS.

CAST YOUR OWN SHADOW.

DO NOT WALK IN THE SHADOW OF OTHERS.

DO NOT FOLLOW A PATH; FOLLOW YOUR OWN FOOTSTEPS; YOUR PATH WILL CREATE ITSELF.

And you know the book, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”? Her advice is “Don’t Sweat the Big Stuff.” Just do a little each day, and you’ll make the world a better place!

And that was the end of Prophet Miriam’s advice and prophecy. The dream was over, and she was gone.

Except for these Mandelbrot … her very own recipe!


PROPHET MIRIAM’S BISCOTTI*

½ cup butter
¾ cup sugar
3 eggs
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon anise seed
1 heaping teaspoon powdered ginger
2 tablespoons chopped candied ginger
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
¾ cup chopped pistachio nuts
¼ cup chocolate morsel bits
¼ cup currants or chopped orange-flavored dried cranberries
3 cups flour


Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add all other ingredients, except flour, and stir well. Add flour and mix thoroughly.

Divide dough into three parts on well-floured board. Shape each part into a long roll, about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. Place rolls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten each roll slightly.

Bake at 350º for fifteen minutes. Remove from oven and slice rolls crosswise about ½ inches thick. Lay cut side down on cookie sheet and return to oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove and cool on racks. Makes about 4 dozen.

*This is a variation on "Aunt Mary's Italian Biscotti"