Retired dentist Alan Silver has always had a bee in his bonnet about the Orthodox notion of truth — so much so that he has written a book about it.

Jews, Myth and History: A Critical Exploration of Contemporary Jewish Relief and its Origins (Troubador Publishing), discourages the belief that any of us possesses the whole truth. It addresses questions about “Jewish idolatry”, why good people suffer and “whether or not women are treated fairly” in Orthodox Judaism.

Mr Silver, 60, tells People: “There are a lot of people who think that our whole history is the Bible. The book tries to distinguish between myth and history.”

He adds: “I really enjoyed writing it and will be interested to see what kind of feedback I get.” He divides his time between Israel and north London.