עזרא, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ז

The official correspondence sent by the regional governors to the Persian king concludes with a practical request for a historical investigation. Tatnai, the governor overseeing a vast territory, was occupied with numerous administrative duties and did not have immediate access to the documents needed to verify the Jewish elders' claim that they had prior authorization to rebuild the Temple. While local rival groups were deeply invested in halting the construction, the imperial government viewed the matter simply as an administrative issue requiring an official check of the archives [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Bringing the body of their letter to a close [רש״י], the officials respectfully ask that, if it pleases the king [מצודת דוד], a formal search be conducted to uncover the truth. They suggest looking in the royal treasury in Babylon, a location that effectively served as the state archive for storing official records [רס״ג, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether Cyrus the Great ever truly issued a decree granting permission and an order to rebuild the House of God in Jerusalem. The officials finish their message by requesting that the king send back his formal, written decision [רס״ג], clearly stating his will on whether the construction of the Temple should be allowed to proceed [מצודת דוד].