The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon according to its clans. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah. – Joshua 19:1

Today's Scripture Reading (April 10, 2025): Joshua 19

I was recently reading about the Russian colonization of America. Most of us probably know about the purchase of Alaska by the United States from Russia in 1867 (the same year that Canada became a nation). We are probably unaware that the hope of Russia went much deeper than just Alaska. The original plan was to take all of Western America in the name of Russia. The most publicized areas of Russian colonization were in Alaska and Fort Ross in Northern California. The etymology behind the name "Fort Ross" is derived from the root word for Russia, so the Californian ethnic heritage site could be called Fort Russia. The intention was to take the Western Territory from Alaska, down through the Westernmost Canadian Provinces and the Northwestern States to California and Fort Ross. It is a forgotten moment in North American History, and it is an interesting "what if" scenario to wrestle with for all of us who currently live in the Western portion of the continent. Maybe we could have been Russian if things had played out just a little differently. 

The tribe of Simeon is often mentioned as one of the lost tribes of Israel, but the reality is that that might not be true. Maybe instead of the "Lost Ten Tribes of Israel," we should discuss the "Lost Nine." The reality is that Simeon may have disappeared very early in the history of Israel. Judah completely surrounded the Tribal land of Simeon, and the warriors of Simeon were invited to join with Judah in securing its boundaries. The act made sense because if Judah were secure, then Simeon would also be. 

However, the Tribe of Simeon is not included in the Song of Deborah in Judges, often thought to be one of the earliest sections of the Tanakh to be written down. There seem to be two possibilities as to the disappearance of Simeon. The most likely solution, at least to me, is that Simeon quickly became absorbed into the tribe of Judah. Just as the warriors of Simeon co-mingled and fought beside the warriors from Judah, the people began to mix until the border between Judah and Simeon simply disappeared.

The second possibility is that the tribe migrated north and joined with the Tribes of Israel. Like Russia's attempt to colonize North America, Simeon moved in among the territories of the north until the tribe was scattered among the Northern tribes, and the original land was abandoned. Which possibility is correct? We might never know the answer to that question, but we do know that Simeon eventually disappeared from the pages of history, even if they weren't part of the missing tribes from Northern Israel. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Joshua 20