Joshua 19:2

In their inheritance. The writer enumerates 17 cities that were given to Simeon, 13 of which were chiefly in the Negeb, and four largely in the Shephelah, although the dividing line between the Negeb and the Shephelah cannot be too distinctly drawn. He does not specify any boundary for this tribe, since Simeon did not receive so much a definite portion of territory, but rather certain cities with their surrounding lands, and these within the limits originally allotted to Judah. Many of these cities were occupied conjointly with Judah, and hence ascribed sometimes to one tribe and sometimes to the other.

Beer-sheba, and Sheba. Literally, “Beer-sheba and [or, even] Sheba.” It seems to be clear that these are one and the same city; otherwise there would have been 14 cities instead of 13. Furthermore, in 1 Chron. 4:28, where Simeon’s cities are enumerated, the name Sheba is omitted. Abraham’s Beer-sheba (“well of the oath”) lay in the present city of Beer-sheba, approximately 27 mi. (43.6 km.) southwest of Hebron. Later, during the Hebrew monarchy, the town of Beer-sheba was about 3 mi. (5 km.) east, at Tell es-Seba, 24 3/4 mi. (39.7 km.) from Hebron.

Of the 13 cities (vs. 2-6), and 4 cities (v. 7), the site of only 1, Beersheba, is definitely known.