Nein
Encyclopedia
Nein is an Arab
village in Israel
that forms part of the Bustan al-Marj Regional Council
in the Lower Galilee. Located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Nazareth
, Nein covers a land area of approximately 1,000 dunums
. Its total land area consisted of 3,737 dunums prior to 1962. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Nein had a population 1,600 in 2005. The city hall for the Bustan al-Marj Regional Council is located in Nein.
. A hill known in Arabic as Tell
el-Ajul lay on the path that ran between Nein and nearby Indur
, an Arab village destroyed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
. While Edward Robinson
describes Nein as lying on the northern slope of a hill called, "the little Hermon," and it is described in biblical guidebooks as lying at the foot of the Hill of Moreh
.
and Eli Smith
, who visited Palestine
in the mid-19th century, identify Nein as, "the Nain of the New Testament
," where, according to the Bible
's (Gospel of Luke
7:11-17), Jesus
resurrected a young man.
According to Luke, a widow
, who was living in Galilee
, had lost her sole remaining son, and thus all she had to live for. When Jesus
saw the dead son being carried out and the mourning widow, he felt compassion for her. He walked towards the stretcher, touched it, and told the man: "Young man, I say to you, rise!" The man came alive, sat up, and began to speak. The people who were standing around were all very struck by the event, and the report of it spread widely around the region.
(c. 347 – 420) as being situated near Endor (Indur
). Its identity as a biblical site was recognized by the Crusaders
, who built a church there to commemorate the site of the miracle, a church rebuilt by the Fransciscans. Nein has been visited by many travellers and pilgrims since. Robinson and Smith also note that Nein decreased in size over the ages, and was at their time of writing but a small hamlet, inhabited by only a few families. At the end of the 19th century, Nein was described as a small village made of stone and adobe
, with a small mosque, named Mukam Sidna Aisa, to the north.
Arab citizens of Israel
Arab citizens of Israel refers to citizens of Israel who are not Jewish, and whose cultural and linguistic heritage or ethnic identity is Arab....
village in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
that forms part of the Bustan al-Marj Regional Council
Bustan al-Marj Regional Council
The Bustan al-Marj Regional Council is a regional council in northern Israel. Its territory lies adjacent to the Jezreel Valley and north of Afula. The area includes four Arab villages:*Ed Dahi*Kafr Misr*Nein*Sulam-External links:* *...
in the Lower Galilee. Located 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Nazareth
Nazareth
Nazareth is the largest city in the North District of Israel. Known as "the Arab capital of Israel," the population is made up predominantly of Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel...
, Nein covers a land area of approximately 1,000 dunums
Dunam
A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum, dynym, dulum was a non-SI unit of land area used in the Ottoman Empire and representing the amount of land that can be plowed in a day; its value varied from 900–2500 m²...
. Its total land area consisted of 3,737 dunums prior to 1962. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Nein had a population 1,600 in 2005. The city hall for the Bustan al-Marj Regional Council is located in Nein.
Location
Nein lies a short distance from Mount TaborMount Tabor
-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
. A hill known in Arabic as Tell
Tell
A tell or tel, is a type of archaeological mound created by human occupation and abandonment of a geographical site over many centuries. A classic tell looks like a low, truncated cone with a flat top and sloping sides.-Archaeology:A tell is a hill created by different civilizations living and...
el-Ajul lay on the path that ran between Nein and nearby Indur
Indur
Indur was a Palestinian village, located southeast of Nazareth. Its name preserves that of ancient Endor, a Canaanite city state thought to have been located to the northeast. The village was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and its inhabitants became refugees, some of whom were...
, an Arab village destroyed in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war
1948 Arab-Israeli War
The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
. While Edward Robinson
Edward Robinson (scholar)
Edward Robinson was an American biblical scholar, known as the “Father of Biblical Geography.” He has been referred to as the “founder of modern Palestinology.” -Biography:...
describes Nein as lying on the northern slope of a hill called, "the little Hermon," and it is described in biblical guidebooks as lying at the foot of the Hill of Moreh
Moreh
Moreh is a name of a location, commonly used in the Genesis.-Torah locality:Translators who consider the obscure elon moreh of Genesis 12:6 to be the name of a locality, render it as "the plains of Moreh". Translators who consider the term to be a sacred tree or grove, often render it "terebinth",...
.
Biblical associations
Edward Robinson (scholar)Edward Robinson (scholar)
Edward Robinson was an American biblical scholar, known as the “Father of Biblical Geography.” He has been referred to as the “founder of modern Palestinology.” -Biography:...
and Eli Smith
Eli Smith
Eli Smith was an American Protestant Missionary and scholar, born at Northford, Conn. He graduated from Yale in 1821 and from Andover Theological Seminary in 1826. He worked in Malta until 1829, then in company with H. G. O. Dwight traveled through Armenia and Georgia to Persia. They published...
, who visited Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
in the mid-19th century, identify Nein as, "the Nain of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
," where, according to the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
's (Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
7:11-17), Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
resurrected a young man.
According to Luke, a widow
Widow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
, who was living in Galilee
Galilee
Galilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, had lost her sole remaining son, and thus all she had to live for. When Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
saw the dead son being carried out and the mourning widow, he felt compassion for her. He walked towards the stretcher, touched it, and told the man: "Young man, I say to you, rise!" The man came alive, sat up, and began to speak. The people who were standing around were all very struck by the event, and the report of it spread widely around the region.
History
Nein is mentioned in the writing of Eusebius (c. 263–339) and JeromeJerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
(c. 347 – 420) as being situated near Endor (Indur
Indur
Indur was a Palestinian village, located southeast of Nazareth. Its name preserves that of ancient Endor, a Canaanite city state thought to have been located to the northeast. The village was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and its inhabitants became refugees, some of whom were...
). Its identity as a biblical site was recognized by the Crusaders
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, who built a church there to commemorate the site of the miracle, a church rebuilt by the Fransciscans. Nein has been visited by many travellers and pilgrims since. Robinson and Smith also note that Nein decreased in size over the ages, and was at their time of writing but a small hamlet, inhabited by only a few families. At the end of the 19th century, Nein was described as a small village made of stone and adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
, with a small mosque, named Mukam Sidna Aisa, to the north.