Cote de Pablo talks strong women in 'The Dovekeepers'

LOS ANGELES, March 31 (UPI) -- Cote de Pablo signed on to The Dovekeepers because of the strong women found in the story.

The 35-year-old actress discussed the CBS miniseries in an interview with TV Guide published Monday. The Dovekeepers is based on the Alice Hoffman novel of the same name, and follows the fate of several women at the siege of Masada in 73 A.D.

"It was such an emotional story, and it's a story about women -- strong women, that really follow their heart against what everyone else is saying, what society dictates," she revealed. "They're very brave women, women who were, at the time, rebels in many ways."

De Pablo will portray Shirah, a single mother with "uncanny insight" known as the "Witch of Moab." The actress told the publication she found "a level of synchronicity" with the character, and expressed her "deep regard" for the women's courage in the book.

The Dovekeepers tells the story of 900 Jews besieged by Roman forces at the fortress Masada. According to accounts, only two adults and five children survived, the rest having died in the siege or killed themselves in a mass suicide.

"History has often been told through the eyes of men, and what was unique about The Dovekeepers was, the doorway into this extraordinary story is through the lives of these courageous women," executive producer Roma Downey related. De Pablo is best known for portraying Ziva David on CBS police drama NCIS, and is also scheduled for The 33 with Antonio Banderas. The Dovekeepers will air part one March 31 at 9 p.m. ET, with part two to follow April 1.