Tattenai

(Ezra 5:3)—the governor of the province Beyond the River under Darius I. When the returned exiles resumed building the Temple, Tattenai, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates inspected the work, asked who had authorized it, recorded the leaders’ names, and reported the matter to Darius. They did not stop construction while awaiting the royal decision. After the decree of Cyrus was found, Darius ordered them not to interfere and to support the work from royal revenue (Ezra 5:3-17; 6:6-13). Contemporary Persian-period documents also attest a governor named Tattenai, supporting the historical setting.