Bible Locations

Shema was a town in the Negev of Judah, listed only in Joshua 15:26 with Amam and Moladah. The parallel list of Simeon's towns has Sheba at this point (Joshua 19:2), so the two names may refer to the same place, or one is a copying variant. The name may mean "hearing" or "rumor." It's also a personal name in the family of Caleb (1 Chronicles 2:43-44), which may be connected. Its location is unknown. Some scholars suggest Tell es-Saba, near Beersheba, or a site near Moladah, east of Beersheba. The Negev there is semi-arid land with low hills and wadis, where people lived by herding and farming in good years, relying on wells. No events are recorded there. It's one of the many small towns in the southern Judah lists.