Besai

Besai was the ancestor of a family of Nethinim who returned from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel (Ezra 2:49; Nehemiah 7:52). The Nethinim were temple servants of non-Israelite origin who had been incorporated into the worship community to assist the Levites. The return of families like Besai's was essential to fully reconstituting the temple's support staff after the devastating losses of the Babylonian captivity.