Jews have inhabited Alexandria since the city was founded by Alexander the Great. The Ptolemies assigned a separate residential section for the Jews to practice their religious beliefs without interference from the pagans. They enjoyed similar rights to other citizens. Many Romans viewed the isolationism of the Jews with suspicion. Their persecution forced most Jews to emigrate. Following the Muslim conquest of Egypt, Jews began to return and established two synagogues. However, the true rebirth of the Jewish community followed the expulsion of Sephardic Jews from Spain after the Alhambra Decree of 1492. The rule of Muhammad Ali enabled them to prosper socially and economically. As a result, their numbers increased dramatically, only to collapse following the Six-Day War. Today, only a handful of Jews live in Alexandria. Their historical contribution survives in private and public edifices, while their international importance is exemplified in the translation of the Old Testament into Greek to facilitate the Alexandrian Jews who spoke better Greek than Hebrew.