Summary: |
""I have been completely fascinated by Herod the Great--known mostly to the world for the few references to him in the biblical narrative of Jesus' birth--since I went on my first rabbinical-guided trip to the Holy Land in 2012..." So began Kathie Lee Gifford's yearslong quest to learn as much as she could about the little-known yet historically pivotal tyrant who ruled Judea with an iron fist at the coming of the Messiah. The result of her curiosity, thread-pulling research, and passionate pursuit of truth is this uniquely engaging collaboration with biblical scholar and professor Dr. Bryan Litfin. While Herod and Mary isn't fictional, it is filled with all the elements of an engrossing novel, including: a sweeping plot arc spanning Jerusalem to Rome, Judea to Egypt, and beyond; resonant characters whose ties to the maniacal Herod doom them to tragic ends; murderous intrigue that boils to overflowing in the king's chaotic palace; fresh insights about Mary, Joseph, and other key figures in the biblical account; binge-worthy turning points and cliffhangers as the gripping narrative unfolds; and much more. Herod's tyrannical rule frames this instructive, often-tragic saga--an epic tale of bluster and bloodshed--while the story soars with a quieter, humbler thread of hope and redemption: the life of a faith filled teenage girl and the birth of a Messiah who transformed the world for time and eternity."-- |