During archaeological excavations in Aphrodisias, an ancient city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, numerous inscriptions referring to a Jewish community were discovered.
On three marble slabs, representations of menorot, citron trees, palm branches and shofarim were found. In the covered theatre of the Odeion, on one of the bleachers, is engraved “The place of the ancient Jews”.
An inscription discovered in the town and now on display in the Museum of Aphrodisias bears the names of the town’s 16 Jewish families. This plaque, which was probably used for administrative census purposes, dates back to the 3rd century AD.