Scholars often identify Succoth with Tell el-Maskhutah. The mention of 600,000 men in Numbers 1:46 suggests about 2.5 million people in total.
If this large number is literal, it presents some challenges:
The camp area would cover 643 square kilometers (400 square miles).
A column of people 1,000 wide would stretch nearly a mile and take 20 hours to pass one point.
No other known armies in the ancient Near East were this large.
Scholars suggest two possible explanations:
The number might be symbolic, showing that God greatly blessed Israel. Although unusual to us, this was acceptable in the ancient world.
The Hebrew word for “thousand” (’elep) might actually be “troop” (’allup). If so, it originally meant “600 troops of fighting men.” With each troop having about 100 men, the total population would be much smaller.
Despite the logistical issues, it is possible there were indeed 2.5 million Israelites.