Nein (Arabic:نين,Nayin, lit.Charming,Hebrew:ניין) — alsoNain orNaim in English — is anArab village in northernIsrael. Located in theLower Galilee, 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) south ofNazareth, Nein covers a land area of approximately 1,000 dunams (250 acres) and falls under the jurisdiction ofBustan al-Marj Regional Council, whose headquarters it hosts.[2] Its total land area consisted of 3,737 dunums prior to 1962.[3] According to theIsraeli Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2022 it had a population of 1,994.[1]
Nein lies a short distance fromMount Tabor.[4] A hill known in Arabic asTell el-Ajul lay on the path that ran between Nein and nearbyIndur, an Arab village destroyed in the1948 Arab-Israeli war.[5] Biblical archaeologistEdward 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 theHill of Moreh.[6]
Rock-sunk tombs have been found here, probably ofChristian origin.[7]
Nein is mentioned in the writing ofEusebius (c. 263–339) andJerome (c. 347–420) as being situated near Endor (Indur).[8] Its identity as a biblical site was recognized by theCrusaders, who built a church there to commemorate the site of the miracle, a church rebuilt by the Franciscans.[4][8][9]
Nein, like the rest of Palestine, was incorporated into theOttoman Empire in 1517, and in thecensus of 1596, the village was located in thenahiya of Safa in theliwa ofLajjun. It had a population of 119 households, allMuslim. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, olive trees, goats and beehives, in addition to winter pastures and occasional revenues; the taxes totalled 80,000akçe.[12]
In 1838 Robinson and Smith noted that Nein had decreased in size over the ages, and was at time a smallhamlet, inhabited by a few families.[6][8][13] In 1875Victor Guérin saw here a ruined building, measuring 18 times 12 paces.[14]
In thePalestine Exploration Fund'sSurvey of Western Palestine (1882), Nein was described as a small village made of stone andadobe, with a small mosque, namedMukam Sidna Aisa, to the north.[15]
In the1945 statistics the population was 270, all Muslims,[18] while the total land area was 4,687 dunams (1,158 acres), according to an official land and population survey.[19] Of this, 87 dunams (21 acres) were for plantations and irrigable land, 3,602 for cereals,[20] while 31 dunams were classified as built-up areas.[21]
The raising of the young man of Nain, byLucas Cranach, in 1569.
Edward Robinson andEli Smith, who visitedPalestine in the mid-19th century, identified Nein as, "the Nain of theNew Testament" (Greek:Ναΐν) where, according toLuke7:11–17,Jesus raised a young man from death and reunited him with his mother.[8] According to Luke's account, this young man was the only son of an unnamedwidow. WhenJesus saw the dead son being carried out and the mourning widow, he feltcompassion for her. He walked towards thebier or stretcher, touched it, stopped the funeral procession and told the man: "Young man, I say to you, arise!" The man came alive, sat up, and began to speak. The people who were standing around were all struck by the event, seen as a sign that 'a great prophet' had arisen among them, and the report of it spread widely acrossJudea and the surrounding region. Nain is not mentioned in the other canonicalgospels.
Abu Raya, Rafeh (2006-06-11)."Nein" (118). Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
Abu Zidan, Fadi (2011-10-07)."Nein" (123). Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
Abu Zidan, Fadi (2014-12-31)."Nein" (126). Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
Avshalom-Gorni, Dina (2011-08-16)."Nein" (123). Hadashot Arkheologiyot – Excavations and Surveys in Israel.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
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