tiphsah Summary and Overview

passing over; ford, one of the boundaries of Solomon's dominions (1 Kings 4:24), probably "Thapsacus, a great and wealthy town on the western bank of the Euphrates," about 100 miles NE of Tadmor. All the land traffic between the east and the west passed through it. Menahem undertook an expedition against this city, and "smote Tiphsah and all that were therein" (2 Kings 15:16). This expedition implied a march of some 300 miles from Tirzah if by way of Tadmor, and about 400 if by way of Aleppo; and its success showed the strength of the Israelite kingdom, for it was practically a defiance to Assyria. Conder, however, identifies this place with Khurbet Tafsah, some 6 miles west of Shechem.

(ford) is mentioned in #1Ki 4:24| as the limit of Solomon's empire toward the Euphrates and in #2Ki 15:16| it is said to have been attacked by Menahemi. It was known to the Greeks and Romans under the name of Thapsacus, and was the point where it was usual to cross the Euphrates. Thapsacus has been generally placed at the modern Deir; but the Euphrates expedition proved that there is no ford at Deir, and that the only ford in this part of the course of the Euphrates is at Suriyeh, 45 miles below Balis, and 165 above Deir. This, then, must have been the position of Thapsacus.

TIPH'SAH (ford), a name for two places. 1. A city on the western bank of the Euphrates. The name connected with the Hebrew word signifies "to pass over," which is represented in Greek and Latin by Thapsacus, a town situated at one of the most frequented fords of the Euphrates. The city was large and flourishing, being a great emporium of trade between Assyria and the West, and in a direct line from Tadmor. It has been found that the only practicable ford of the Euphrates is at Hammum, 181 miles higher up the river than Deir, which was formerly thought to be the true position, but where the river is not fordable. 1 Kgs 4:24. 2. Menahem, king of Israel, "smote Tiphsah and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof." 2 Kgs 15:16. This place has been identified with the above, but some leading scholars would put this Tiphsah in Palestine, near to Tirzah, or a ford of the Jordan. Conder suggests its identity with the ruin Tafsak, south of Shechem.

A town on the western bank of the Euphrates, the limit of Solomon's empire in that direction (1 Kings 4:24). Hebrew Tiphsach. Menahem king of Israel smote it and all its coasts (2 Kings 15:16). Thapsacus, in northern Syria, where the Euphrates was usually crossed (Strabo xvi. 1, section 21). From pacach, "to pass over," i.e. the ford. Solomon's aim (1 Kings 4:24) was to have a line of trade with central Asia across the continent. Tadmor was the halting place on the way to Tiphsah. It was "great and prosperous" (Xenophon, Ahab. 1:4, section 11) as the emporium between E. and W., owing to its ford and its bridge of boats (Strabo xvi. 1, section 23; 3, section 4). Here goods were embarked for transport down the river, and disembarked for land transport from boats which came up it (Q. Curt. x. 1). Suriyeh now marks the ford, four stadia or 800 yards across, as Xenophon accurately states, and at times having but. 20 inches of water. The ten thousand here first learned Cyrus the younger's real intentions (Xenophon, Ahab. i. 4, section 11). A paved causeway on either side of the river and a parallelogram line of mounds still mark the site.