Who was Zeresh the wife of Haman?

(י) וַיִּתְאַפַּ֣ק הָמָ֔ן וַיָּב֖וֹא אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֛ח וַיָּבֵ֥א אֶת־אֹהֲבָ֖יו וְאֶת־זֶ֥רֶשׁ אִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃

(10) Nevertheless, Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh,

Who was Zeresh? Who are her ancestors? Source 1. is the posek in the Megilla.

(י) וְאִזְדְרִיז הָמָן וְעַל לְבֵיתֵיהּ וּשְׁדַר וּקְרָא יַת רְחִימוֹי וְיַת זֶרֶשׁ רַשִׁיעֲתָא אִנְתְּתֵיהּ בְּרַת תַּתְּנַי פַּחַת עֵבֶר נַהֲרָא:

In source 2. the Targum identifies Zeresh as the wicked wife of Haman and as the daughter of Tattenai the governor of the Province beyond the River. Who is Tattenai?

(ג) בֵּהּ־זִמְנָא֩ אֲתָ֨א עֲלֵיה֜וֹן תַּ֠תְּנַי פַּחַ֧ת עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָ֛ה וּשְׁתַ֥ר בּוֹזְנַ֖י וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן וְכֵן֙ אָמְרִ֣ין לְהֹ֔ם מַן־שָׂ֨ם לְכֹ֜ם טְעֵ֗ם בַּיְתָ֤א דְנָה֙ לִבְּנֵ֔א וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה׃ (ס) (ד) אֱדַ֥יִן כְּנֵ֖מָא אֲמַ֣רְנָא לְּהֹ֑ם מַן־אִנּוּן֙ שְׁמָהָ֣ת גֻּבְרַיָּ֔א דִּֽי־דְנָ֥ה בִנְיָנָ֖א בָּנַֽיִן׃ (ה) וְעֵ֣ין אֱלָהֲהֹ֗ם הֲוָת֙ עַל־שָׂבֵ֣י יְהוּדָיֵ֔א וְלָא־בַטִּ֣לוּ הִמּ֔וֹ עַד־טַעְמָ֖א לְדָרְיָ֣וֶשׁ יְהָ֑ךְ וֶאֱדַ֛יִן יְתִיב֥וּן נִשְׁתְּוָנָ֖א עַל־דְּנָֽה׃ (פ)

(3) At once Tattenai, governor of the province of Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues descended upon them and said this to them, “Who issued orders to you to rebuild this house and complete its furnishing?” (4) Then we said to them, “What are the names of the men who are engaged in the building?” (5) But God watched over the elders of the Jews and they were not stopped while a report went to Darius and a letter was sent back in reply to it.

After the events of Purim unfolded, the prophets Haggai and Zacharia prophesized to the Jewish people that they should resume the building of the Second Holy Temple. As the news got out, Tattenai, came to spy out what was going on and report his findings to King Darius the Persian, (son of Esther and Achashverosh).

In the text, he doesn't seem to be doing more than just observing the events and relating his findings to Darius. Though one could make a case to say that the text does seem to imply that he had malicious intent.

(ח) חָל לִהְיוֹת יוֹם אֶחָד לְהַפְסִיק בֵּינְתַיִם, מִשְׁמָר שֶׁזְּמַנּוֹ קָבוּעַ, הָיָה נוֹטֵל עֶשֶׂר חַלּוֹת, וְהַמִּתְעַכֵּב נוֹטֵל שְׁתָּיִם. וּבִשְׁאָר יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה, הַנִּכְנָס נוֹטֵל שֵׁשׁ, וְהַיּוֹצֵא נוֹטֵל שֵׁשׁ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, הַנִּכְנָס נוֹטֵל שֶׁבַע, וְהַיּוֹצֵא נוֹטֵל חָמֵשׁ. הַנִּכְנָסִין חוֹלְקִין בַּצָּפוֹן, וְהַיּוֹצְאִין בַּדָּרוֹם. בִּלְגָּה לְעוֹלָם חוֹלֶקֶת בַּדָּרוֹם, וְטַבַּעְתָּהּ קְבוּעָה, וְחַלּוֹנָהּ סְתוּמָה:

(8) If one day fell separating between them [between Shabbat and the holiday], the shift [of priests] whose time [to serve] was set [to be on that Shabbat], would take ten breads, and that [priestly shift] which tarried there [through Shabbat, although it was not their time to serve] would take two. And on the remaining days of the year, the entering shift would take six [breads], and that which [already served and] was leaving would take six. Rabbi Yehudah says: that which was entering would take seven, and that which was leaving would take five. That which was entering distributed [the breads] in the north [of the Temple court], and that which was leaving [distributed] in the south. Bilgah [one of the priestly shifts] always distributed [their share of the bread] in the south, and their ring [for hanging the sacrificial animals] was fastened [down on the wall], and their window [to their chamber] was blocked up.

The Bilgah family was fined in 3 ways. They always distributed the Lechem HaPanim in the South. Their Shechita ring was made inaccessible. Their cubby hole to store their items was sealed shut.

(י) וחלונה סתומה. חלונות היו בלשכת החליפות ששם גונזין את סכיניהם. וחלון של משמרת בלגה היתה סתומה, דקנסוה רבנן משום מעשה שהיה, שאשה אחת ממשמרת בלגה ומרים בת בלגה שמה נשתמדה ונשאת לסרדיוט אחד ממלכי יונים, וכשנכנסו יונים להיכל הלכה וטפחה בסנדל ע״ג המזבח ואמרה, לוקוס לוקוס, פירוש זאב זאב בל׳ יוני. עד מתי אתה מכלה ממונן של ישראל ואין אתה עומד להן בשעת דוחקן. וכששמעו חכמים בדבר זה קבעו את טבעתה וסתמו את חלונה של כל המשמרת כולה, כי אמרו אם לא ששמעה מאביה שהיה מבזה את העבודה לא אמרה כן. ובשביל אביה קנסו כל המשפחה, דאוי לרשע ואוי לשכנו, טוב לצדיק וטוב לשכנו:

In the Mishna in Succah, the Rav explains that the Bilgah family was punished because Miriam bas Bilgah left Judaism and married a Greek officer during Chanukah times. When the Greeks entered into the Holy Temple, Miriam kicked the Alter and said against Hashem, "Wolf, Wolf, how long will you waste the Jewish People's money on Korbanos and not stand by them in their time of need." Since she disparaged the Avodah, the Chachamim fined her entire family. They said, she would not say such things unless she heard such talk in her own house, therefore because of her father, the whole family was fined.

Even though Bilgah's nature was not clear, by Miriam Bas Bilgah's desecration of the Temple, we see that Bilgah also disparaged the Avodah.

In the case of Zeresh, the Targum labels her as a wicked women and she is married to a wicked man. The Targum further identifies her as the daughter of Tattenai, his actions based on his daughter' conduct would certainly indicate that he too was also a Rasha.

How important it is for us to model positive attitudes towards the Torah and the Mitzvos of Hashem!

Rabbi Aron Rosenberg sent me 2 additional references. One is the Torah Temimah in Shir Hashirim who identifies Tattenai as the writer of the Libel sent to Achashverosh in Ezra 4,6. The only other place in Tanach where Achashverosh's name is mentioned

Also R' Saadia Gaon in Ezra who identifies Tattenai as a Meshumad. Unfortunately, Meshumadim by and large haven't always acted kindly to the Jewish people.

(ז) מְצָאֻ֧נִי הַשֹּׁמְרִ֛ים הַסֹּבְבִ֥ים בָּעִ֖יר הִכּ֣וּנִי פְצָע֑וּנִי נָשְׂא֤וּ אֶת־רְדִידִי֙ מֵֽעָלַ֔י שֹׁמְרֵ֖י הַחֹמֽוֹת׃

(7) I met the watchmen Who patrol the town; They struck me, they bruised me. The guards of the walls Stripped me of my mantle.

(א) מצאוני השומרים וגו'. מצאוני השומרים הסובבים בעיר – זה (עזרא ה׳:ג׳) תתני פחת עבר נהרא וחביריו לבשכתבו שטנה על ישראל שלא יניחום לבנות את ביהמ"ק כמבואר בעזרא כאן, וזהו הכוני פצעוני וכדמפרש. , הכוני פצעוני – שכתבו שטנה על יושבי יהודה וירושלים, נשאו את רדידי מעלי שומרי החומות – חומותיה של ירושלים לגמוסב על נחמיה וסיעתו שהיו בונים החומה ושומרים אותה כמבואר בנחמיה ג' וד', ודריש מעָלַי כמו מֵעֲלֵי שומרי החומות, כלומר שנטלו כלי זינם. .
(מ"ר)

(ג) בֵּהּ־זִמְנָא֩ אֲתָ֨א עֲלֵיה֜וֹן תַּ֠תְּנַי פַּחַ֧ת עֲבַֽר־נַהֲרָ֛ה וּשְׁתַ֥ר בּוֹזְנַ֖י וּכְנָוָתְה֑וֹן וְכֵן֙ אָמְרִ֣ין לְהֹ֔ם מַן־שָׂ֨ם לְכֹ֜ם טְעֵ֗ם בַּיְתָ֤א דְנָה֙ לִבְּנֵ֔א וְאֻשַּׁרְנָ֥א דְנָ֖ה לְשַׁכְלָלָֽה׃ (ס)
(3) At once Tattenai, governor of the province of Beyond the River, Shethar-bozenai, and their colleagues descended upon them and said this to them, “Who issued orders to you to rebuild this house and complete its furnishing?”

(א) ביה זמנא. באותה העת כשהתחילו זרובבל וישוע לבנות בשניה כדברי חגי וזכריה אז בא עליהם תתני שהיה משומד ושם אותו סנחריב מלך אשור פחת הוא שלטון בעבר נהר פרת ואומ' כי בן רבשקה היה: