This book shows an entirely different side to the popular entertainer Kathie Lee Gifford. If you follow her career at all, you will realize that she easily shares her faith. That she is a student of scripture is not so evident until you pick up this title. A very different and inspiring read.

The Rock, The Road and the Rabbi was so much more than I expected. This book explores the Jewish cultural significance of many of the major events in the life of Jesus Christ. This is a must read for anyone traveling to the Holy Land and a helpful reference to Jews and Christians alike. I know I will refer to passages in this book again and again as my understanding of scripture, history and the Holy Land deepens.

A must read for anyone who really wants to know more than just what tourists see, when visiting the Holy Land. You are given a thorough background of what it means to be a Jew and a Christian. The weaving of the two faiths, that are part of this book, , is more than just a “Jews for Jesus”walk. The places where Our Lord walked and performed miracles, as you read through this narrative, gives you a “wanting” to visit. Read, and book your ticket...you won’t regret it.

The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi
My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began
by Kathie Lee Gifford

Thomas Nelson--W Publishing

Thomas Nelson
Biographies & Memoirs
Pub Date 06 Mar 2018


I am reviewing a copy of The Rock, the Road and the Rabbi through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:


Kathie Lee Gifford is a lifelong student of scripture who has always desired a deeper understanding of Scripture, of God’s word.

It was when she began studying the Biblical texts in their original Hebrew and Greek that Kathie Lee Gifford as well as actually hiking the ancient paths of Israel that she found the Fulfillment of those desires!

In this book we can take the journey with Kathie on the Spiritual Foundations of Faith.


In this book we are able to hear Directly about her ever growing relationship with Christ. As well as exploring dozens of ancient landmarks and historical sites of Israel.



In this book you will go beyond a Sunday School approach to the Bible, instead you will dig deeper into the Original Languages and meanings of the Holy Scriptures!



I giving The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

On the surface this book is a travelogue of Kathy Lee Gifford's experiences in the Holy Land including photographs. It is also a discussion book about the culture of Jesus' time,and the translations of words from Hebrew and Greek to offer a better understanding of the time, the place and the events that are the story of Jesus. Kathy Lee talks of her travels and the things she has learned while visiting in Israel. She also has additional material included by a Rabbi to illuminate each place or topic. The book is an enjoyable read and very informative.
For a more in depth look at these subjects try the books by Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg.

(There is also a Study Guide that is available to read with this book)
. (StudyGateway OSB plans to do an online Bible Study using the book in August.)

Brilliantly written and very well researched this book is an inspiration. The scriptures mentioned are perfectly chosen and the message within is thought-provoking. It is worth picking up and reading -- enjoy taking the time to get inspired and read this along with the Bible.

Over the years, Kathie Lee Gifford has stood apart from so many famous people because her faith comes shining through. She isn’t afraid to stand up for what she believes, and at times, that must be difficult for someone who lives in the public eye the way she does.

In this book, she shares stories from the Biblical history and introduces the reader to her teachers on the journey: Ray Vander Laan, Rod Van Solkema, and Rabbi Jason Sobel, a Messianic Jewish Rabbi. I’ve never had the opportunity to travel to Israel, but in a way, through this book, I feel as if I can almost imagine what it would be like to experience the ancient paths that she describes so well. I love her style of writing too; Kathie Lee expresses her thoughts in a gentle, easy-to-read fashion.

This book really added to what I have read in the Bible. The teachers share what they have discovered about the time of Jesus and enlarge on the meaning of facts from the Bible. It didn’t in any way change what I believed to be true, but it increased my understanding in such a way that I felt like I could see and understand more of what it was like to live in those times. I originally planned to read the book straight through, but quickly decided the book deserved more time than that, so I started reading a chapter or two at a time in order to more fully absorb the material.

I highly recommend this book that brings the Bible to life, It will be one I treasure and read again. It’s definitely worthy of 5 stars.

I enjoyed the way that the information was organized and presented. A combination of spiritual memoir and travel guide, It felt like a friend was telling me about her trips and personal study, sharing the Biblical insights into the many locations as presented by her tour guides. I found the geographical, historical, and cultural background information fascinating. It brings a new appreciation to much that I read in scripture.
I voluntarily read an advanced review copy p0rovided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response.

This had a little too much of pushing certain religions. Not everyone believes the same thing and if you are a religious journey to find more about religion you need to give them all a chance.

i enjoyed reading the story, i love watching her on tv and tried the book, it was very interesting . you see the country through what she is telling. i recommend the book

In this book you will have the exciting opportunity to discover the truth of the Bible and learn what many passages in the Scriptures really mean. You will experience the Rock (Jesus), the Road (the Holy Land), and the Rabbi (the Word of God) as you have never experienced them before!
You will walk around various sites in Israel with Kathie Gifford, her late husband Frank, and their host Ray Van Der Laan, as they visit the Mount Of Olives (where thousands of Israelis have been buried waiting for the Messiah) to Masada, where Herod built a magnificent palace, and where a small group of courageous Israelis decided to commit suicide rather than be enslaved by the Romans!
You will have to open your heart and mind to understand how Easterners think, because the Western mind is totally opposite!
Think as you read... was Jesus really a carpenter and why did He wait until He was 30 to start His ministry?

This is a voluntary review of an advanced copy.

What a thought provoking book! I enjoyed reading along as Kathie Lee and other taught about different stops on their tour of the Holy Land.

Some things were a reinforcement of teaching that I had previously learned but there were a few things that were new and unexpected!

The chapter that I enjoyed the most was discussing the birth of Jesus and the significance of his birth in a cave. I had no idea that the shepherds that we always read about were actually shepherds that raised the lambs for sacrifice, and that the caves these lambs were born in was the same as the perfect Lamb of God was born.

I enjoyed the personal comments from Kathie Lee and loved the chapter with her brother's teaching. The final part was a good way to encourage us to think about where we would throw our stone.

So many good things to say about this book that I couldn't fit it all in so I will just say that I think the book is well worth reading and will give you encouragement as well as prod you to move!

The Bible Is Not an Ancient, Dead Book

THE ROCK THE ROAD AND THE RABBI is a unique book. At first, I wondered if it would be all that interesting, but it is! Whilst reading this book, I kept on thinking, “Hey, I want to go on that tour!”

The reason that Kathie Lee Gifford wrote this book, is that it goes to the heart of what she values most. This land is the land of the Gospel: “I believe with all my soul that the answer to every question any person will ever ask is hidden in that land and in the Word of God.”

The author takes the reader to many famous Biblical places. Then, with the help of two Bible experts, Rabbi Jason Sobel and Ray Vander Laan, she explains what happened here in Biblical times. The two theologians do a good job of setting the stage, and explaining the meaning of the Biblical passage.

In my favorite chapter, we visit the Valley of Elah, where David killed Goliath. Here, the author and her late husband each pick up a stone. The question for them is, “What is your stone? What is your gift? What is the one thing that you can do that no one else can do but you?”

And that’s how the book works. We visit the scenes of the Bible, we get an expert explanation of the passage, and also a practical lesson.

In visiting the places where Jesus lived, the guides discuss how people lived at that time I was flabbergasted to hear that a more accurate translation of Jesus’ occupation was “stone mason,” not carpenter! This fits the Bible narrative well, since “Jesus is the promised master craftsman and architect of creation who brings order out of chaos and shalom to our lives.”

The author sums up her book with this challenging word of encouragement: “I encourage you to find your stone and throw it at the chaos of this world. Serve the living God and find your purpose in Him.”

Nicely said! When does the next tour leave?