נחמיה, פרק י״א, פסוק כ״ז

The historical record of where the people lived reveals a significant shift in the structure of the nation. The towns of Hazar Shual and Beersheba were originally part of the territory assigned to the tribe of Simeon. However, by this period in history, commentators note that the tribe of Simeon had faded as a distinct group. It had lost its unique identity and no longer operated as an independent, self-contained tribe standing on its own.