(dramatic orchestral music) - Hello. I'm Charlton Heston. The story you're
about to hear is one of the most engaging
tales in the Old Testament. It's a story of
love and betrayal, failure and triumph and
ultimately a reminder that all men, no
matter how great, can be brought down
by their own flaws. I'm talking about the story
of Samson and Delilah. Like many other
heroes of the Bible, Samson had a clear destiny. Even before he was born, an
angel appeared to his mother and told her that Samson
would become a man of great strength and would
play an important role in freeing the Israelites
from their long-time enemies, that people called
the Philistines. But the angel issued
a strange warning. Samson's hair would be the
source of his strength, and therefore it
should never be cut. As Samson grows into manhood, he becomes an object
of admiration, and not only among
his own people but among the Philistine women. Eventually he falls in love
with one of those women, but it's an ill-fated romance. Believing that he's been
betrayed by his beloved, he storms off in anger and
when he returns to apologize, it's too late. She's married someone else. In a fit of rage,
Samson takes vengeance on the entire
Philistine population by burning their crops. Now there's no turning back. The fragile peace
that had existed between the Israelites
and the Philistines had been shattered. When the Philistines learned
that Samson was responsible for the devastation,
they plot to capture him and they managed to do so. Samson's brought to them bound
and roped but that's a trick. There are no bonds
that can hold Samson. At the first opportunity,
he bursts free, picks up a club and
begins to fight. By the end of the battle, he's
killed a thousand soldiers. It's a stunning victory. But the Philistines are
not about to surrender. They'll bide their time
until they can find a way to kill Samson. The perfect opportunity arises
when Samson falls in love with a woman named Delilah. Sensing that she
can be bought off, the Philistines tell her
that they'll pay her dearly if she can uncover the
secret of Samson's strength and reveal it to them. She readily agrees to try, and after three failed
attempts, she's successful. "If you cut off my
hair," Samson says, "I would become as
weak as any man." Later that night, when
Samson falls asleep, Delilah informs the
Philistines of her discovery and they promptly
shaved his head. When he wakes, he's
indeed as weak as any man. He's taken prisoner and
as an added punishment, his eyes are put out. But the story doesn't end there. Samson's given one last chance
for revenge and he takes it, even though he must
die in the process. I won't tell you the
rest of the story, it'd spoil the ending. If you don't know it already, you'll just have to wait and
see how the story turns out. I've asked my good
friend, Simon, to be your guide
as you journey back to the time of this
great, biblical hero. But now, it's time for
me to bid you farewell. I'll see you again next time. Until then, peace be with you. (peaceful orchestral music) (kids shouting) - You're it! - No way, hey, come back here! - I'm gonna get you! Stop it, stop it! - In the late 13th century BC, the Philistines conquered
Canaan and forced the Israelites to live as a scattered nation
in the mountainous regions. Here in Zorah, a city of
the Israelite Tribe of Dan, lived a simple
shepherd named Manoah. - Run!
(kids shouting) Run! (pants heavily) (kids shouting)
(dramatic music) - Stop it, stop it! (kids shout loudly) - Run! Run to your homes, children! The Philistines are coming! Run! (suspenseful music) The Philistines are
here to collect food! - Why won't the Lord answer
our prayers for a child? - Didn't you hear me? The Philistines are coming! (menacing music)
(horses neigh) - I know what day it is. The ration basket is ready. - I will never
understand how you handle the Philistines so calmly. (birds chirping) (melancholy music) - Do you think it's
something we've done? - Perhaps the Lord doesn't
want us to raise a child. (menacing music) (pot breaking)
(woman screams) - [Soldier] Where
are your rations? (birds chirping)
(peaceful music) (loud whoosh)
(dramatic music) - Who's there? Who are you? - The Lord, your God, has
chosen you to bear a child who will begin Israel's
freedom from the Philistines. While pregnant, you
must follow these rules. Do not eat or drink from
the fruit of the vine. Do not eat any unclean foods. Your son will be a Nazarite,
a child chosen by God. No one should ever cut his hair, the source of his strength. - But-- - Follow the rules
set forth by God, and you will have a son. (loud whoosh) - [Simon] Manoah prayed
for the angel to return and teach them how
to raise their child. (loud whoosh) And the angel did return to
reaffirm the Lord's promise. (thunder crashes) (loud whoosh) Manoah's wife followed
the Lord's orders. And she gave birth to a son. (baby whimpers) - He's the biggest
baby I've ever seen! (baby coos) (loud crunch) Ow! What a grip! (mother laughs) - Quit kidding. What shall we name him? - Let's call him Samson!
- Samson. Blessed by God. (birds chirping)
(sheep bleat) - [Simon] Manoah and
his wife soon learned that Samson wasn't
like the other boys. (upbeat music) ♪ One day in the city of Zorah ♪ ♪ An angel came
to Manoah's wife ♪ ♪ God has chosen
to give you a son ♪ ♪ And he will be
a true Nazarite ♪ ♪ He'll stand up against
the Philistines ♪ ♪ He'll be great and
honored everywhere ♪ ♪ Do what God says,
spoke the angel man ♪ ♪ And by the way, don't
ever cut his hair ♪ (birds chirping) (playful twang) (melancholy music) As Samson grew older, he became well known in
Canaan for his great strength. He was especially
popular with young women. (girls giggle) - C'mon, Samson, take a turn! - But the beautiful
ladies here in Timnah want to see you do it, right? - [Ladies] Yes! - I can't, it's full of water. - [Ladies] Aww! - Everyone knows you're
the strongest man in all of Canaan!
(laughter) - [Lady] I bet he
can't lift the pot. (men talk at the same time) - [Man] I bet Samson can lift
you and the pot together! - You're on! I hope you're as
strong as you look. - Hold on. - [Group] Oh! (Samson grunts loudly) (dramatic music) - You are the strongest man in Canaan!
- And you are the prettiest woman! Mother, Father, I found
the woman I wish to marry. In Timnah. - In Timnah? You mean you want to
marry a Philistine girl? - Oh, she's the most beautiful
woman I've ever seen! I want you to go to Timnah
to arrange for our marriage. - Oh, Samson! Can't you find a nice
Jewish girl here in Zorah? - But, Mother! (Mother sobs) - (sighs) This is
completely unacceptable. You can't marry a Philistine! (Mother sobs loudly) Oh, now look, you've
made your mother cry! - Oh, Mother. You know I don't
mean to upset you. - Then why, Samson? Why a Philistine? - Because until today, I've never seen a
woman as lovely as you. Please, I'm sure you and
Father will like her. I'm going to go to Timnah today. (sighs) I hope you will, too. (melancholy music)
- Oh, what do we do, Manoah? I just don't understand
him sometimes. (birds squawk)
(dramatic music) (crickets chirp)
(suspenseful music) (soft rustling) (loud roar)
(menacing music) - Be good, kitty, be good! (menacing music)
(loud roar) (loud grunting)
(loud growls) (loud roar) (dreamlike twinkling) (loud grunting) (thrilling music)
(loud roar) Good. I said to be good. (grunts)
(loud crash) (dreamlike twinkling) Talk about the
power of the Lord! I must keep this to myself. (melancholy music)
(water splashes softly) - [Lady] Why won't you tell
me what happened anyway? - Ow! That stings! - Sorry. For such a strong man, you're
behaving more like a baby! - Nothing. Not even wild beasts could
stop me from seeing you again. - I didn't think you'd return. After all, I'm a Philistine
and you're an Israelite. - If it were up to my
parents, I wouldn't have. But I persisted. (faint laughter) - Well, I think it's safe
to say they approve now! (faint laughter) Good as new. - Pretty good! Let's test it out. - What are you doing? It took 10 men to lift
each one into place! (dramatic music) - (grunts) Doubting me again? (birds chirping) (loud whooshing) (faint clapping) - Look, a Danite clown! (loud thuds)
(playful twang) (birds chirping) - Samson, you don't
want to upset my father before we are married, do you? - Of course not, Shera.
- You, marry him? He's an Israelite! He's beneath you, Shera! There's no way your
father will allow it! - It's already arranged, Ceric. - But, Shera! - Two years for your proposal. I couldn't wait forever. - Your father will
never approve! You'll see! - She said he already has! Good day, soldier! Here. (loud grunt) (loud crash) (playful music) (birds chirping) (playful whistle)
(loud crash) (birds chirping) - (growls) One day,
I'm gonna get him! (peaceful music)
(crickets chirping) - [Simon] On his
way home to Zorah, Samson stopped to
check on his conquest. (peaceful music) There, he received a gift. (faint buzzing) - Hmm, look at that! Honey! - [Simon] Even though he held
an entire beehive in his hand, not one bee stung him! Samson didn't tell his
parents what had happened. (people chattering)
(upbeat music) - Samson, in the
Philistine tradition, I present you with
your 30 escorts for the seven days
of the wedding fest! (people cheer loudly) To Samson! May you endure the next
seven days and be married to my daughter, Shera. (people cheer loudly) (people laugh loudly) - Thank you. I'm honored to have
you as my escorts. If it's not in violation
of your traditions, I would like to
propose an activity. - Tell us, we're
at your service! - Are you Philistines
up to a good challenge? - We're the most powerful
people in Canaan! Why shouldn't we be? - Good! I bet each of you one fine
linen robe and one work robe that you can't solve my riddle. (men laugh) - An Israelite's riddle? What's the challenge in that? Where is a poor Danite going
to get 30 sets of clothes and 30 (chuckles)
fine linen robes? - Don't worry about me. - [Man] Let's hear the riddle. 30 of us would surely be
able to figure it out. - Here it is. Out of the eater,
something to eat. Out of the strong,
something sweet. (men murmur) - What kind of riddle is that? We can't possibly answer it. - (laughs) You have seven days! That's the deal. (birds chirping)
(peaceful music) - [Simon] On the fourth
day of the festivities, Samson's escorts
secretly visited Shera. (loud knocking) - Who's there? Is that you, Samson? - It's not Samson. - What do you want? - You know exactly what we want. - No. No, I don't. - As you know, we
made a little wager with your Danite husband. - Yes, (chuckles) it's fun.
- Fun? There's a lot at stake here! It's been four days and
we still have no chance of solving his silly riddle! We want the answer! - I don't know it. - Well, get it! (menacing music) - Shera, you see,
the problem is, no one wants to pay the Danite. So you've got to find a
way to get the answer. You've got to help
your old friends. - You'd better do what he says. No Danite is going
to ruin us, trust me! - But--
- I didn't want it to come to this, Shera. But if you don't
get us the answer, we'll burn down your house
with you and your father in it! Don't think we won't do it. Do I make myself clear? (sobs shakily) Good! (chuckles) You have three days. (melancholy music) - [Samson] Shera! Why
do you look so sad? - Samson, do you trust me? - (chuckles) Of course! - Do you love me? - How could you even
ask that, Shera? - Because you gave
my people a riddle and you haven't
told me the answer. How am I supposed to
believe you love me if you don't even trust
me with the answer? - You must believe me! Of course I love you! - Then entrust me
with your secret. - I can't. I just can't. I haven't even told
my mother or father. - You don't love me! (sobs)
- For three days, Shera pleaded with
Samson to tell her the answer to the
riddle and finally, he could stand her
tears no longer. - Oh, Samson, you do love me! You do trust me!
- Of course, I trust you. It's the escorts I don't trust. They could have pressured
you for the answer. - I would never have told. - Remember when I
came to court you and I had these scratches? - Yes? - On my way from Zorah, I killed a lion
with my bare hands. - These?
- It's true. Then on my way home,
in the lion's mouth, I found the sweet honey of bees. Do you think you
have the answer? - Samson killed a lion
with his bare hands and then later he looked
in the lion's mouth and there was this
beehive full of honey. (people chatter) (loud clatter) - Gentlemen, I believe
the time has come to settle a score. (laughs) - Do not be so quick to
declare victory, Samson. - Why? No one knows the answer. - [Ceric] It isn't sunset yet. - (grunts) Fine. I can wait for a
few more minutes. (birds chirping)
(peaceful music) - What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion? (people laugh)
(menacing music) - What?
- You heard me! We solved the riddle! You owe us 30 sets of clothes
and 30 linen robes. (laughs) (menacing music)
(men laugh) - Samson! - If you had not
coerced my wife, you would have never
answered my riddle! - Samson, please! - Stay away from me! You betrayed me! I should break you in half! (sobs) - You've lost the wager, Samson! Are you a man of
honor or a welcher? - I wear a large!
- I like red! - Don't worry, I
will honor the bet, even though you cheated me. - Samson!
(playful twang) (crickets chirping) (soft whistling) (menacing music)
(man screams) - [Simon] History with the
oppressors of Israel's children. Just as the angel
of God predicted. (gasps loudly) - There are your clothes. Now, I'm done with you. All of you! (men laugh loudly) (rooster crows)
(birds chirping) - Samson.
- You can't lie around like this forever. We told you it wasn't right
to marry a Philistine. - [Samson] But I still
want her for my wife. - There are lots of nice girls! - I don't want any other girls. - If you want Shera so
badly, go back to Timnah and apologize to her! Maybe she didn't
give them the answer. (sheep bleats) - Shera! - Samson, what are
you doing here? - I've come to apologize
and see my wife. - Well... I can't permit that, Samson. See, Shera is married
to someone else! - What? She's my wife! - No! Not technically! You ran off before the
ceremony was complete! You said you hated her! What was I to do? (menacing music) You can marry my
younger daughter. She's far prettier than Shera. Please, take her! - I don't want her! You, you Philistine! You'll pay! You'll all pay for this! (peaceful music)
(faint barking) (fox pants heavily) (fox whimpers) (loud barking)
(loud growling) You Philistines have taken
advantage of my people for far too long! (loud barking)
(loud whimpering) ♪ Growing strong and your
hair is growing longer ♪ ♪ Men may fear you everywhere ♪ ♪ And you just keep
getting stronger ♪ ♪ You're stronger than
the lion you slew ♪ ♪ And you're sweeter than
the honey from the bees ♪ ♪ Your strength will bring
the walls crumbling down ♪ ♪ And the Philistines
to their knees ♪ (foxes bark loudly)
(fire crackles) (loud blazing)
(fire crackles) (thrilling music) (loud blaze) This will teach you to
never cheat me again! (people chatter nervously) - Impossible! One man can't be responsible for this! - If you saw Samson,
sir, you'd believe it. - Why? He must know his people
will pay for this! - On Samson's wedding night, a man from Timnah gave his
daughter, Samson's bride, to another man! - Burn his house down! Make sure he and his
daughter are home! (suspenseful music) - This is your answer? Do you think this
is going to stop me? I won't stop until I get my
revenge on you Philistines! ♪ When they killed Shera
he avenged her death ♪ ♪ He killed more than a
thousand Philistines ♪ ♪ She may have deceived
me but nobody kills ♪ ♪ He said he woman I
intend to be mine ♪ (man screams) - In Philistine, Samson
became a wanted man. (men chatter angrily) - We have come for Samson. Don't attempt to stop us. - We don't want trouble. Please, we know where he is. We will bring him to you! - You have 24 hours! And we want him alive. (peaceful music) (men shout loudly) - What is it you want? - Samson, we have you turn
you over to the Philistines or they'll attack our city. - I'll go quietly if you
promise not to kill me. - Of course we won't kill you. You're a hero to the Israelites! But we must tie you up
and hand you over to them. (soldiers shout angrily) (dramatic music) - Go back to the others. I don't want you to get
hurt if there's any trouble. - God bless you, Samson. - I have a bad
feeling about this. - What's your worry? He's bound, look at him! (suspenseful military music) (loud whoosh) No!
(loud snapping) No!
- Oh! - Don't run! He can't defend himself
against an entire army! Get him! (soldiers shout angrily) (loud crashing)
(loud thuds) (thunder crashes)
(dreamlike twinkling) - Lord, (sighs) You have
given me the strength to kill 1,000 Philistines. Now, are You going to
let me die of thirst and fall into the
hands of our enemy? (thunder crashes)
(loud cracking) (water splashes loudly) - [Simon] For his
extraordinary efforts against the Philistines, Samson was anointed
leader over Israel. But even though he was a
leader for the next 20 years, he still took time to seek
out pleasure with the women and the Philistines knew this. (men mutter angrily) - Sir, Samson is here in Gaza
with a woman of the night just as we suspected. - Very good! Lock the city gates. We'll arrest him in the morning. - Stay until morning? Not tonight. (suspenseful music) (loud rattling)
(grunting) (loud creaking) (loud whoosh) - One day, Samson went
into the Philistine valley of Sorek where he met a woman. (thrilling music) - Give me my money back! Stop, thief! Stop! (loud crash)
(playful twang) (birds chirping) My money? You worm! Just try and steal money again! Thank you! This is everything I have! - My pleasure. I've never seen a
woman so determined. Steal from her again
and I'll kill you! (loud shout)
- Wow! You are strong! - Nearly as strong as
you are strong-willed. What's your name? - I'm Delilah. - [Samson] I'm Samson. - You're a lifesaver! Is there anything I can do
to repay for your kindness? - How about dinner? - (laughs) I'm not
much of a cook. But if you're willing to risk
your life, okay, you're on! ♪ Yes, Samson got stronger
than any known man ♪ - I would love to be the
one to slay that beast. - It would take something more
than cunning to topple him. ♪ He trusted too much
and turned to mush ♪ ♪ If a woman even
thought about a smile ♪ ♪ And so even after
20 long years ♪ ♪ Of fighting the
crew of Philistines ♪ ♪ When he cast his eyes
on the fair Delilah ♪ ♪ He said, Sam that
woman is fa, fa, fine ♪ - I just had an idea! I think we're going
to have our revenge! ♪ Now Delilah, she was
offered some gold ♪ ♪ By the Philistines
who wanted Samson ♪ If you love your
country, you'll do it! He's killed more than
a thousand Philistines! - But he saved my life. - All you have to do is find
out what'll make him weak. Think of the reward. - Alright, I'll help. But only if you
promise not to hurt him and to let him go
if you're wrong. - You're doing the
right thing, Delilah. You'll be a hero. - [Simon] Samson quickly
fell in love with Delilah. But Delilah had other
things on her mind. - Samson, honey. - Yes? - What if I wanted to
make you weaker than me? - I thought you liked me strong. - Oh, I do, I do! - Then why would you wanna
make me weaker than you? - I don't know! (chuckles) Just for fun, I guess. (loud thuds) - Tie my wrists with bow strings and I'll become as
weak as any man. (loud snoring)
(peaceful music) - Samson! The Philistines are upon you! (loud snap) - Uh-oh. Oh, um, no, no, no! (loud crash) - You've made me
look like a fool. - I don't see how. - You don't see how? Those bow strings
didn't bind you a bit! Neither did the new ropes. You've purposely deceived me. - So? I was just having fun
with the woman I love. - If you really loved
me, you'd trust me with the secret
to your strength. - What's that got
to do with love? - Everyone knows
how strong you are. But I wanna be the only one
who knows your weakness. - (chuckles) You're
my weakness, Delilah. - You know what I mean! I wanna know your secret! - Okay. (sighs) If it really means
that much to you. (loud snoring)
(crickets chirping) - Samson! The Philistines are upon you! (men grunt angrily)
(Delilah screams) - Delilah, I'm
very disappointed. I thought you were
going to use your (scoffs) womanly
powers of persuasion to get what we want from Samson! - I'm sorry, my lord. It's hard. It's not like I don't like him. - Samson is a hero
to the Israelites! He's Philistine's'
greatest threat! You committed to
helping us capture him! Your people are
depending on you! - I'll try again tonight. - Good. You see, we'd hate to
have to threaten you. (crickets chirping) - Samson, do you love
me more than anyone in the whole world? - Yes, more than anyone. - [Delilah] Do you promise
to always tell me the truth? - Yes. - Prove it to me. Tell me what is the
secret to your strength. - (laughs) I drink
a lot of milk. Ow! - [Delilah] You
know what I mean! - (sighs) If it's
that important, I'll
tell you the truth. If you-- - Shh, in a moment. Let me look at you
a little longer. (melancholy music) - I'm falling asleep. Shall I tell you? - Please. - If you cut off my hair, I would become as
weak as any man. - These beautiful locks. That's your big secret? Shave your head and
you will be weak? ♪ He fell fast asleep
with his head in her lap ♪ ♪ Like a child without a care ♪ ♪ But when he passed out,
Delilah made her shout ♪ ♪ Come on in, boys ♪ ♪ And get rid of his hair ♪ Oh, dear Samson. Will you ever forgive me? - You'll have to move your hand. (suspenseful music) - I can't watch. (sobs) (birds chirping)
(suspenseful music) - I've been waiting
years for this moment. Wake him. - (sighs) Samson! The Philistines are upon you! (grunts loudly) (suspenseful music) Samson! I had to tell them. I'm so sorry! (sobs) - Stop your crying! You're a very rich woman! It took 20 years but
you're finally mine! - I should have known this was
one of your schemes, Ceric! - Don't speak unless
spoken to, prisoner! What shall we do with him? (loud thud)
- I'll have my revenge! My Lord will see to it! - You know what I think? Your God has abandoned you! - Never! - Shut this monster up, now! (men laugh evilly) (shout turns muffled)
(loud clanking) - We are going to parade
the once mighty Samson for all of Philistine to see! I don't want him to ever
see a beautiful woman again! Gouge out his eyes! (Samson screams)
- No! (men laugh evilly)
- Take him away! You're a hero today, Delilah! You've served your country well! Here's your reward. (Delilah sobs) - I don't want your blood money! (loud thud)
(coins tinkle) (Delilah sobs) ♪ Delilah took the gold and
the soldiers took his locks ♪ ♪ Snipped his braids and
his strength was zapped ♪ ♪ They locked him and kicked
him and gouged out his eyes ♪ ♪ And then in chains he
was wrapped and clapped ♪ - [Soldier] You're not
so mighty now, Samson! He's just a big oaf! (men laugh evilly) (loud grunts) - Lord, I know I strayed. But please restore my
strength so I can right myself and bring glory to Your
people, the Israelites. (loud grunt) (loud crash) (water gushes) (peaceful music) (faint slurping) - [Simon] Samson's
strength slowly came back. But he concealed
it from the guards. (men mutter) - On your feet! There's a party at the temple
and you're the guest of honor! (chains clank)
(dramatic music) (grand orchestral music) - Dagon, our god! You've delivered Samson,
our greatest enemy, to us! Now, we give him to you as
an offering of our reverence! To Dagon! - [Crowd] Dagon!
Dagon! Dagon! Dagon! (crowd cheers loudly) - Delilah, your heroic act
made this great day possible, - If I had known you'd
torture and humiliate him, I never would've done it. - Oh, come now, Delilah. You've accomplished something that over a thousand
armed men couldn't! Enjoy the moment! It's yours. (birds chirping) (loud thud)
(grunts) - Sir, is this the main temple? - Yes, it is. - Then could you guide me
to the main pillars so I, I can lean up
against them to rest. (birds chirping) (claps)
- (laughs) Look! The mighty one is tired! (laughs maniacally) - You could at least uncuff him. He no longer poses any threat. - Uncuff the guest
of honor! (laughs) - Please, my God. Give me strength. - What are you mumbling about? (loud clank) - Lord! Let me die with the Philistines! (loud whoosh)
(dreamlike twinkling) (thunder crashes) (loud crash) (men shout) - His strength, his hair! Stop him! Cut the hair! (woman screams)
(loud crash) (loud explosions) - This way!
- No, this way! (loud explosions) (loud screaming) (loud crash) - Samson died a heroic
death in which he killed more Philistines than he had
slain during his lifetime. (majestic orchestral music)
