NAIN: (Luke 7:12).

A small town 10 miles sought of Nazareth. Shortly after healing a Centurion's servant in Capernaum Jesus arrived in Nain to the sight of a funeral procession of a only son of a widow. Jesus raise the boy to life prompting the comment today that "Jesus never attended a funeral without ruining it."

From Heb. nain, "green pastures," "lovely"), the name of a town near the gate of which Jesus raised to life a widow's son (Luke 7:11-17). It is identified with the village called Nein, standing on the north-western slope of Jebel ed-Duhy (=the "hill Moreh" = "Little hermon"), about 4 miles from Tabor and 25 southwest of Capernaum. At the foot of the slope on which it stands is the great plain of Esdraelon. This was the first miracle of raising the dead our Lord had wrought, and it excited great awe and astonishment among the people.

In later life the boy of a widow is known by name, Maternus. He was one of the early missionaries sent by Peter from Rome to Europe to Treves. The three were know as Eucharius, valerius and maternum, all of whom were students of Peter during his stay in Rome. Maternus was Hebrew born, from Nain, raised to life by Jesus. He appears to have been the most active of the three. He alone pushed deep into Europe to reach the farthest Roman settlements of Tongres, where he is said to have built a little church beyond the Alps. (McBirne, The Search for the Twelve Apostles, p60.)