The Hebraic Thread

“The argument is tight, based on sound scholarship and the message highly original, making it one of the most interesting books of political thought I have read in a long time.” – John Gray, philosopher and bestselling author of Straw Dogs
“Of all the diagnoses of the illiberal ‘progressive’ zealotry now undermining the West from within, Alan Bekhor’s is among the most incisive. Through impressive philosophical erudition, he recovers the religious roots of the Anglo-American political tradition of responsible liberty, exposes the intellectual acids corroding them, and locates the springs of revival. Bekhor’s prophetic book surveys the desert and then waters it.” – Nigel Biggar, CBE, Regius Professor Emeritus of Moral Theology at Oxford and author of The New Dark Age: Why Liberals must Win the Culture Wars
“A fresh and thoughtful contribution to the renewal of Jewish thinking about our common world.” – Anthony Julius, writer, trial lawyer, and Chair of Law and Faculty of Laws University College London
“Alan Bekhor recognizes that the Bible and its Jewish origins, in no small part, have been the bedrock upon which the great nations of the West have been built. For anyone who seeks a compass with which to navigate these tumultuous times, this book is indispensable.” – Rabbi Joseph Dweck, Rabbi Levy Chair of Jewish Wisdom at the London School of Jewish Studies
“The Hebraic Thread evokes the drama of political thought from its premodern origins to the crisis of postmodernism. A far better introduction to modern thought than Bertrand Russell’s History of Western Philosophy, it traces the emerging battle between the mainly Anglophone defenders of liberty under the law and the authoritarian enemies of the West, showing that it has never been more important to rediscover the Biblical roots of the moral order. Anyone who rejects the chaos of contemporary despair and is seeking a new guide for the perplexed need look no further.” – Daniel Johnson, editor of The Article and former editor of Standpoint Magazine

Alan Bekhor is the son of Iraqi Jews who settled in Britain in 1950. He is a writer, philosopher, and business entrepreneur whose intellectual interests are centered on the connections between religion, ethics, and politics.

Bekhor holds a master’s degree in Intellectual History from the University of Sussex. He has presented academic papers at various institutions, including the London School of Economics, the Forum for European Philosophy, the London Society for the Study of Religion, and Lockdown University.

A longstanding supporter of institutions upholding civilizational standards, he founded Standpoint, a magazine of ideas edited by Daniel Johnson, which made a notable contribution to British intellectual life from 2008 to 2022. It was once described by Niall Ferguson as “an island of seriousness in an ocean of trivia.”

In 1999, Bekhor, who lives in London, founded an international shipping business, now run by his son, called British Marine. The Hebraic Thread is his first book.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.