Wow, this thread has generated a lot of posts.
I apologize for the brevity, but I have other commitments.
In regard to Judaism and gender roles, the parallel is similar to that of Judaism and polygamy, and Judaism and slavery. In all three, Judaism was evolutionary, if not revolutionary, in comparison to the other peoples of its times. The trends to the ethics being espoused by many of you, and many here seem to suggest originated from the late modern age secularism, actually derived from the progressive development of these ideas from ancient times--and,for Western soceties, I'll state, from the ethics in Judaism and the democratic ideals that similarly were initiated in ancient Greece.
I'll even suggest that in the absence of this religious foundation, the best that can be acheived is amorality.
Well, History, since you said that you abhor blanket statements, its surprising that you make such statements about other peoples of those times or for that matter about all polytheists. What does
its times mean? There are all sorts of societies & cultures at all times, some are more misogynistic than others, some horribly misogynistic, some practically absolutely egalitarian. The Taliban of our times are some of the worst misogynists, the Swedes are perhaps as egalitarian as possible. Many cultures fall in between, same is true of ancient times-the Egyptians & Celts were nicer, Graeco Romans were not so egalitarian, even in Greece-Athens & Sparta were pretty different & Roman laws also evolved, from the egalitarian Etruscans, to the Romans with their pater familias' absolute powers to a lessening of such powers etc. Some Native American tribes were very sexist, some pretty egalitarian.
Ancient people are also like modern ones, they have a variety of laws in a variety of locations, their laws & customs change over time or when they come in contact with other cultures with different beliefs etc.
Polygamy amongst Jews was abolished amongst the Ashkenazis due to European Christian monogamy, the Shaphardic & Yemenite Jews were polygamous until very recently, they never outlawed this practice before moving to Israel.
Even with a religious monotheistic foundation, the Mid East doesn't seem to have achieved much-although they have all three faiths of Islam, Judaism & in some countries' Christianity. The ethics of Judaism, on which Muhammad based his religion seems to have gifted the mid East nothing but polygamy, unilateral repudiation of wives by their husbands,compulsory head coverings,intolerance towards other faiths & in some countries abhorrent stuff like stoning adulteresses & non virgins & the death penalty for apostasy.Muslim countries in South East Asia or even Bangladesh for that matter, which had a polytheistic ethic pre Islam & still have residues of that culture & religion, have far more gender equality, no unilateral repudiation & certainly no stonings. Yemen has both Islam & Judaism, it certainly doesn't have either religious freedom or gender equality, Azerbaijan, which is secular with a large % of non believers, has these values to a far greater extent.
Topic: Respecting People's faith