From Tifsah until Aza
As the verse tells us, Shelomo Hamelech had full control from Tifsah until Aza.
It is not 100% clear where these places are. Let's start with "Aza". It is most likely what we call Gaza. However, the Rada"k says that it, along with Tifsah, are cities on the other side of the Euphrates. Tifsah itself can be one of many places, as we'll see below.
The gemara in Megilla (11a) cites an argument between Rav and Shemuel about these 2 cities. One says that Tifsah is on one end of the earth while Aza is on the other. The other says that Tisfah and Aza are right next to each other, and just as Shelomo Hamelech ruled over these 2 cities, he ruled over the entire world. (Interestingly, the Rif in Ein Yaakov quotes the Rishonim who say that both opinions are not arguing in geography - both agree that they are right next to each other - but according to the first opinion, since the world is round, he ruled from Tifsah - going all the way around the world - to Aza.)
All that is according to Derush. According to Peshat, however, it is telling us the exact borders of Shelomo Hamelech's reign as we know it. And when it says twice in the verse "בכל עבר הנהר" and "בכל מלכי עבר הנהר", Mechon Mamre translates that as "over all the region on this side the River" and "over all the kings on this side the River". This refers to only south and west of the Euphrates.
Click to Enlarge
Wikipedia gives us a few possibilities where Tifsah is (I'm not going to critique these identifications. Let's assume all are a possibility):
- Deir ez-Zor (on Euphrates, about 2 hours east of Raqqah, Syria - the capital of ISIS)
- Khirbat Tafsah (a village 6 miles west of Shechem, Israel)
- Carchemish (on Euphrates, on the Syrian-Turkish border, near Jarabulus, about 2.5 hours northwest of Raqqah, Syria, mentioned in Yirmiyahu 46:2 and Divrei Hayamim Bet 35:20)
- Dibsi Faraj (on Euphrates, about 1.5 hours west of Raqqah, Syria)
- Balis, or Barbalisos (on Euphrates, about 1.5 hours west of Raqqah, Syria)
Let's take a look at what's going on now at these locations: