Baraisa: The following are the border cities of the area taken by the returnees from Bavel (listing from the north western corner until Ashkelon in the south west) - Parshas Chomas, Migdal Shir, Shina Dror, the wall of Acco, Ketziraya of the Galil, Kavrasa, Beis Zanisa, Kovaya, Milsa D'Chir, Borai Rabsa, Tafnis, Sanfasa, Mecharta D'Yaitir, Mamtzaya D'Ahavasa, Rosh Mei Gichon, Mei Sefer, Marcheshes, Migdal Charuv, Ulam Rabsa, Nukbesa D'Iyon, Tukras, Bracha Raba, Bar Sangada and Tarnegola Ila'a that's above Kisarin.

And on the eastern border of the Transjordan - Tarkuna D'Mitcham l'Botzra, Melach D'Zarkai, Nimrin, Beis Sechel. Kenaz, Refiach D'Chagra, the main thoroughfare that goes to Midbar Cheshbon, Yavka, the Zerech river, Yigar Sahadusa, Rekem Dagoa and the gardens of Ashkelon.

Question: What's the status of Ashkelon itself?

Answer (R. Yaakov bar Acha citing R. Zeira): If the Baraisa listed the gardens of Ashkelon within the borders, it shows that Ashkelon itself is outside.

(R. Siman citing Chulfaya): Rebbi, R. Yishmael bei R. Yosi and Ben Hakfar got together and ruled that the air of Ashkelon is Tahor, based on the testimony of R. Pinchas ben Yair, who said, "We would go down to the grain market of Ashkelon, buy wheat, and return to our town, immerse and then eat our Terumah. (This proves that Ashkelon is within Eretz Yisrael, or those Kohanim would not have been permitted to go there.)

The next day, they got together to rule that it is exempt from Ma'asros. R. Yishmael bei R. Yosi withdrew his hands from the shoulders of Ben Hakfar who was supporting him and R. Yishmael said to him, "My son, why didn't you ask me why I withdrew my hands? I would have told you that yesterday, I agreed to deem Ashkelon pure. The reason we could do this is because just as the Chachamim deemed it impure, they can also deem it pure. But now that you are coming to exempt it from Ma'asros, I say that perhaps it was considered to be conquered according to the Halacha (meaning that perhaps the original sanctity that it received at the time of Yehoshua never left it), so how can I exempt it from its Torah obligation of Ma'asros?''

If they agreed to exempt it from Ma'asros (since they deemed it to be Chutz LaAretz), when does it also become impure like the rest of Chutz LaAretz?

(R. Simon): 40 days after the decree (which is the time it took for the decree to become widespread).

(R. Yirmiyah): We have been mistakenly giving Ma'asros in Ashkelon, so the impurity should come immediately!

Question (R. Mana): Didn't R. Yaakov bar Acha say in the name of R. Zeira (above (c)) - if the Baraisa listed the gardens of Ashkelon within the borders, it shows that Ashkelon itself is outside. (So why did those Chachamim need to come together and rule that it is exempt from Ma'asros?)

Answer: (Perhaps it should have had a Rabbinic obligation to tithe.) Isn't it prohibited for Kohanim to go to Tzur; but nevertheless, one who buys produce surely must tithe (MiDeRabbanan)?!

R. Simon and R. Abahu were sitting. One said - the pasuk states (Shoftim 1:18), "And Yehuda captured Gaza with its territory'' (showing that it and Ashkelon that's north of it were part of the conquest at the time of Yehoshua)? The other replied that it's not the same Gaza as now. (Ibid) "...and Ashkelon with its territory''...? The other replied again that it's not the same Ashkelon as now. Will you say about "Nachal Mitzrayim'' (that is mentioned in the pasuk in Yehoshua 15:47 as being on the south western border) that it's also not same as now? (The Gemara leaves this question unanswered.)

(R. Yehoshua ben Levi): The pasuk states (Shoftim 11:3), "And Yiftach fled from his brothers and he dwelt in the land of Tov''. This refers to a place called Sisita and it was called Tov because it's exempt from Ma'asros.

Question (R. Imi): Didn't they pay taxes to the people of Eretz Yisrael? (So why would it be exempt from Ma'asros?) R. Imi held that if a place pays taxes, it is as if it was captured.

Explanation: As R. Shmuel said - Yehoshua sent 3 letters to Eretz Yisrael before they entered. The first said that whoever wishes to leave, may do so. The second said that whoever wishes to make peace with Yisrael and pay taxes may do so. The third said that whoever wishes to wage war may do so.

The Girgashi left and believed in Hash-m (that he had given their land to Bnei Yisrael) and they went to Africa (which is a rich land like Eretz Yisrael) - as the pasuk states (Melachim II 18:32), "Until I come and take you to a land like your land'' - this refers to Africa.

The Givonim made peace, as the pasuk states (Yehoshua 10:1), "and that the inhabitants of Givon had made peace with Yisrael''

The 31 kings waged war and they fell.

Question: Why didn't they decree impurity on Gerar (in the land of the Plishtim, if it's further south than Ashkelon)?

Answer (R. Simon citing R. Yehoshua ben Levi): It's not a good place to dwell. (Since nobody goes there, they didn't need to make a decree.)

Question: Until where (was there no decree in the area of Gerar)?

Answer (R. Chanan citing R. Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak): Until Nachal Mitzrayim.

Question: But isn't Gaza a place of pleasant dwelling (and its located between Gerar and Nachal Mitzrayim, so why didn't they decree there)? (The Gemara leaves this question unanswered.) (Note: However, according to the Vilna Gaon, the Gemara's next word "Pishpasha'' is actually the answer, meaning "Go and check and you'll find that it's also not a pleasant place to dwell''.)

Pishpasha told R. Yosi that he had asked R. Acha if Kohanim may go to Nachal Mitzrayim and R. Acha permitted it.

R. Zeira (who was a Kohen) was traveling to Chamsa D'Pachal (in the north of Eretz Yisrael). He realized that he had veered outside of Diklaya D'Bavel and was concerned that he had entered Eretz HaAmim. He sent R. Chiya bar Vava to ask the two sons of Evyasar of Damai. They told him that Kohanim come to that place.

Kohanim asked R. Yochanan about going to the narrow strip of land that extends from the limits of Naveh. R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Chunia of Chovran that the Kohanim would go to Dari and along that strip of land that extends from the limits of Botzraya, they would go until Pardisa.

(R. Abahu): There are Kusi cities that have refrained from tithing since the times of Yehoshua bin Nun and they are acting correctly.