Definition: In the Bible, "locales" refers to a group of people who lived in one place and traded with each other freely. It describes a group of individuals or communities that coexisted in a particular geographical area for centuries before it became integrated into a larger society under a common ruler. The term is used in Old Testament contexts (Genesis 23:19) to describe the dispersion of Israelites, who were scattered through Egypt and then scattered between various regions like Canaan until they arrived at the Promised Land in the desert.