▁from ▁the ▁beginning , ▁as ▁also ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁their ▁own , ▁where in ▁they ▁determined ▁their ▁su its ▁and ▁controvers ies ▁with ▁one ▁another . ▁Therefore , ▁upon ▁their ▁pet ition ▁to ▁me , ▁so ▁that ▁these ▁might ▁be ▁law ful ▁for ▁them , ▁I ▁ordered ▁that ▁their ▁privileges ▁be ▁preserved , ▁and ▁they ▁be ▁permitted ▁to ▁do ▁accordingly ." 1 ▁( Ant ., ▁XIV : 1 0 , ▁ 1 7 ). ▁" A ▁place ▁of ▁their ▁own " ▁is ▁generally ▁taken ▁as ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁at ▁S ard is . ▁Joseph us ▁F la vi us ▁noted ▁that ▁C ai us ▁Nor ban us ▁F la cc us , ▁a ▁Roman ▁pro cons ul ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁century ▁B CE , ▁u ph eld ▁the ▁rights ▁of ▁S ard is ▁Jews ▁to ▁practice ▁their ▁religion , ▁including ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁don ate ▁to ▁the ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem . ▁( Ant ., ▁XVI : 6 , 6 ). ▁ ▁Arch ae ological ▁exped itions ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁both ▁Harvard ▁and ▁Corn ell ▁Univers ities ▁have ▁spons ored ▁annual ▁ar che ological ▁exped itions ▁to ▁S ard is . ▁These ▁exc av ations ▁un ear th ed ▁perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁impress ive ▁syn agog ue ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁di as por a ▁yet ▁discovered ▁from ▁anti qu ity , ▁yield ing ▁over ▁eight y ▁Greek ▁and ▁seven ▁Heb rew ▁ins cri ptions ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁numerous ▁m osa