The Book of Numbers Is a Book of Nomads

In an ancient Near Eastern context, any reader looking at the first five books of the Bible and now into Joshua is considering what to make of these people who apparently are chosen by the one true God. Gradually, most of these forgotten tribes just get bred out of existence. They get absorbed into another people group and they're not even a footnote in history. We don't know anything about them. Their language, their story, their beliefs about God, any of that stuff.