Did You Know This Is Why Kathie Lee Gifford Writes Biblical Books?

Published: November 15, 2024

Did You Know This Is Why Kathie Lee Gifford Writes Biblical Books?

Movieguide® Contributor

After Kathie Lee Gifford retired from the TODAY SHOW, she went on a trip to Israel that emboldened her faith and influenced her authorship of several Biblical books.

“My faith wasn’t strong before going to Israel and digging deeper into the word,” she told Crosswalk. “Before going to Israel and digging deeper into God’s word, I realized that my life was pretty shallow.”

Her newest book, “Harod and Mary: The True Story of the Tyrant King and the Mother of the Risen Savior,” explores the lives of two completely different Biblical characters. Gifford co-wrote it with Dr. Bryan Litfin.

“My initial fascination with Herod and Mary started in 2012 when I went on my very first rabbinical trip to the Holy Land,” she explained. “A brilliant teacher named Ray Vander Lon taught me so much about the Bible and how important it is to go to the source material, which is the original language. A brand-new fire started in me to want to know more about God’s word, which led me to write the book.”

“Once again, going to Israel changed my life, it started a fire in me. I was lukewarm and hungry spiritually for most of my life. I’d gone to church, written songs, written musicals,” the actress explained. “I was not studying the true word of God.”

She explained that most people don’t really know much about Herod or what made him so evil.

“The Jews hated him because he wasn’t Jewish. He was probably the greatest architect of all time and the richest man in the world. Herod was friends with Julius Caesar and many more powerful leaders of his day,” she explained.

“Herod’s main problem was that he lusted after power and was deeply carnal and sexual,” she continued. “He murdered his sons. He murdered the only woman he ever loved in his life. During my research, I became fascinated by King Herod and his lifestyle. “

Gifford’s son, Cody, helped her research for the book.

“Cody loves this kind of stuff. He had a huge influence on the project. I remember saying to Cody, ‘If Jesus is the greatest story ever told, Herod is one of the greatest stories never told.’ I couldn’t have done the project without Cody,” she said. “…Working alongside my son Cody may be the greatest chapter of my life. “

“We had to do some digging into Mary’s life,” she said. “We studied ancient and respected sources. Josephus also wrote a lot about her. I wanted to flesh Mary’s story out more.”

Gifford was compelled to study Mary because she received a high honor but went through so much emotional pain.

“I’ve always had an enormous affection for Mary; she was there at the birth. God chose a woman to give the greatest honor of all time to be the mother of the world’s Savior,” she shared.

“Mary also suffered greatly. She was at the cross and watched her son die; she was also at the tomb. During the research, I discovered that Mary might have even worked at the temple and was probably involved in the music and the processionals,” she said. “Mary probably spent a great deal of her early life as part of the worship in the temple.”

“My hope when you read this book is that you are able to dive into the fascinating, intertwined lives of King Herod and Mary, the Mother of Jesus,” Gifford shared on her socials earlier this year. “You’ll follow Herod’s tumultuous journey from boyhood dreams to his dark, oppressive reign, and witness Mary’s incredible faith and courage as she brings the light of the world into existence.”

While Gifford doesn’t appear much on TV screens anymore, she’s not fully retired. She now chooses to spend her time writing and producing movies. Movieguide® previously awarded her with our Visionary Award® for Furthering Entertainment with Faith & Values and a Teddy Bear Award®.