Ashpenaz

Ashpenaz served as master of the eunuchs in the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. He appears at the opening of the book of Daniel, when the king ordered the selection of promising young men from among the Israelite captives: "And the king spoke to Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in [certain] of the sons of Israel, even of the royal seed and of the nobles" (Da 1:3).

The Royal Household Official

Ashpenaz held responsibility for overseeing the eunuchs of Nebuchadnezzar's palace. His role placed him in charge of the program to identify and train select Israelite youths — including Daniel and his companions — for royal service in Babylon. He is named only in this opening commissioning scene; the subsequent narrative of Daniel's refusal of the royal food and the negotiations that follow involve his subordinate rather than Ashpenaz directly.