Tatnai

Tatnai (UPDV: Tattenai) is the Persian governor of the province "beyond the River" during Darius' reign. He appears in the Ezra narrative of the temple rebuilding — first challenging the Jerusalem builders, then writing to Darius for verification, then carrying out the king's decree to let the work proceed.

The Challenge to the Builders

Tattenai comes to the builders with a delegation and questions their authority: "At the same time Tattenai came to them, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow slaves, and said thus to them, Who gave you⁺ a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?" (Ezra 5:3). The challenge is administrative — the governor of the province asking by what authority the work is being done.

The Letter to Darius

Rather than stop the work on his own authority, Tattenai writes to the king: "The copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shethar-bozenai, and his fellow slaves the Apharsachites, who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king" (Ezra 5:6). The letter asks Darius to search the records for Cyrus' original decree.

The Royal Reply

Darius finds the decree and writes back to Tattenai with explicit instructions: "Now therefore, Tattenai, governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and your⁺ fellow slaves the Apharsachites, who are beyond the River, be⁺ far from there" (Ezra 6:6). The governor is to keep his hands off the work.

Compliance with the Decree

Tattenai complies without resistance: "Then Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their fellow slaves, because Darius the king had sent, did accordingly with all diligence" (Ezra 6:13). The same governor who first challenged the builders carries out, with diligence, the decree that authorizes the rebuilding.