LOANS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	$ 4,230,228	$ 3,626,821
Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	4,230,228	3,626,821
Commercial, financial & agricultural [Member] | Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	1,218,633	967,138
Real Estate - construction & development [Member] | Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	486,858	363,045
Real Estate - Commercial & Farmland [Member] | Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	1,519,002	1,406,219
Real Estate - Residential [Member] | Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	857,069	781,018
Consumer installment [Member] | Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	147,505	96,915
Other [Member] | Loans Excluding Purchased Loan [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Loans Receivable, Excluding Purchased Loans	$ 1,161	$ 12,486