נחמיה, פרק ז׳, פסוק ע״ב

The completion of the return from exile brought a renewed settlement of the people in their homeland. The various groups within the nation reclaimed the soil, finding their places just in time for the autumn festivals. The returning population consisted primarily of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, joined by representatives from the remaining tribes to ensure the presence of the entire nation [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Settling back into their communities meant returning to the exact historical, ancestral towns that belonged to the people before they were sent into exile [מצודת דוד]. However, the physical borders of this new settlement were smaller than in the past. The inhabited area did not stretch to the original outer limits of Judah's territory, extending only as far as the region around the city of Lod [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

By the time the seventh month, Tishrei, arrived [ביאור שטיינזלץ], the transition was entirely complete. As the new month began, the Israelites were already securely settled and firmly established within their ancestral cities [מצודת דוד].