““The end of Egypt's isolation turned what had been only occasional and incidental contact with the rest of the Near East into a constant and significant exchange of goods and ideas. The new cosmopolitanism introduced new forms and motifs and a growing naturalism to art. Egypt had always been receptive to immigrants, who had easily been assimilated into its culture; now even the pharaohs could marry foreigners. In addition, the increase of commerce and the emergence of a cosmopolitan urban population -- at Thebes and other cities -- marked the first real urbanization in Egyptian society.””
![“The Exodus from Egypt, the home of sacred monarchy, reinforces this idea [desacralization of creation]: it is the 'desacralization' of social praxis. . . . In Egypt, work is alienated and, far from building a just society, contributes rather to increasing injustice and to widening the gap between…” quote by Gustavo Gutiérrez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/290/gustavo-gutierrez-16501_quote_the-exodus-from-egypt-the-home-of-sacred_3207360.jpg)
![“In response to [the Philistine] threat [in the ninth century B.C.], the Hebrews could no longer rely on the leadership of 'judges,' ad hoc military leaders (some of them, peculiarly, women; perhaps reflecting as feminists claim, and earlier matriarchal society).” quote by Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/norman-f-cantor-15048_feminisim_in-response-to-the-philistine-threat-in_626699.jpg)
