22.The Egyptian kingdom was not self-contained but traded widely with the outside world, using the enormous surpluses of wheat grown on the rich valley soil to profit from high prices resulting from famine in various parts of the Mediterranean World.) Relations with the neighbouring in some ways similar civilization of Mesopotamia were always close, though often hostile. Syria Palestine suffered much in biblical times (圣经时代) from the competition of the two world powers of the day. For long, Egypt ruled over Syria but gradually its power declined it was itself conquered, first by the Assyrians (663 B.C.) then for a longer term by the Persians(525-332 B.C.).