נחמיה, פרק י״א, פסוק ל׳

The return to the land of Judah brought about a vast and varied wave of settlement. As the people established their homes across the region, they adapted to different types of living arrangements that suited the diverse landscapes. In certain areas, such as Lachish and its surrounding farmlands, the people did not merely reside in dense urban centers. Instead, their homes were scattered directly throughout the agricultural fields, allowing them to live closely tied to the land they worked [מצודת דוד]. This broad expansion of communities covered a massive stretch of territory, with an unbroken chain of settlement spanning from the deep southern regions all the way up to the Valley of Hinnom, located right within the bounds of Jerusalem [ביאור שטיינזלץ].