Shethar-boznai

Shethar-boznai (meaning: star of splendour or possibly he who investigates their wickedness) was a Persian official, an associate of Tatnai the governor of the province Beyond the River, who jointly challenged the Jews' right to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem following the return from Babylon (Ezra 5:3, 6). They wrote a letter to King Darius questioning whether the king had authorized the building project and asking for an investigation of the decree of Cyrus.

The response of Darius confirmed Cyrus's original decree, not only permitting the work but commanding that the costs be paid from the royal treasury and that the needs of the Jewish community for sacrificial animals and provisions be supplied by the governors of the province (Ezra 6:6–12). Darius's decree also imposed severe penalties on anyone who interfered with the work. Shethar-boznai and Tatnai, faced with this royal directive, complied fully and assisted rather than hindered the rebuilding (Ezra 6:13). His name is Persian, consistent with the administrative setting of Ezra 5–6.