Sardis synagogue next to Greek gymnasium

One of the seven churches of Revelation, Sardis was an important community along the trade route connecting Pergamon and Laodicea. Other young churches along this route included Thyatira and Philadelphia. This video features the most ruins of the Jewish synagogue at the site. The synagogue was posistioned between several shops on one side and the Greek gymnasium on the other. The teachings of Torah and the practices of a Greek or Roman gymnasium were often in direct conflict. The close proximity of these two institutions may be indicative of moral compromise on the part of Jewish residents in Sardis. As the church came out of the synagogue, the struggle with compromise may have continued. The letter to this community (Revelation 3:1-6) is a harsh message of rebuke.