The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, which were on this side the river, sent unto Darius the king:
This is a copy of the letter that Tatnai, the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River, along with Shethar-bozenai and their fellow officials who governed that same region, sent to King Darius:
This verse introduces a formal letter that Persian officials sent to their king about the Jewish temple reconstruction project.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred around 520-515 BC during the Persian Empire under King Darius I. The Jewish exiles had returned from Babylon and were rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, but local Persian officials were questioning whether they had proper authorization for this construction project. The 'river' mentioned refers to the Euphrates River, and the officials governed the Persian province called 'Beyond the River' which included Palestine.
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