Bani

Bani (meaning built) is the name of several men in the Old Testament, most prominent in the post-exilic records. One was a Gadite, one of David's thirty warriors listed in 2 Samuel 23:36 (and possibly the Mebunnai of 2 Samuel 23:27 in 1 Chronicles 11:29). Others named Bani include ancestors of families who returned from Babylonian exile (Ezra 2:10; Nehemiah 7:15), and several men who had taken foreign wives and are listed in Ezra 10:29, 34, and 38. A Levite named Bani assisted in explaining the law to the people during Ezra's great reading (Nehemiah 8:7) and sealed the covenant (Nehemiah 10:13).

The frequency of the name Bani in the post-exilic records reflects its use as a clan identifier rather than necessarily a single individual. The family of Bani contributed significantly to the returnee community, with their ancestor's name heading a recognizable clan group throughout the Persian period.