On the Highway to Hell: History, Archaeology and the Crusader Defeat

Rafael Y. Lewis, the site field director for UNC Charlotte’s Mount Zion dig in Jerusalem, will present a talk on Monday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. on the topic of “On the Highway to Hell: History, Archaeology and the Crusader Defeat at the Battle of Hattin in 1187.”

The talk, which is free and open to the public, will be in the UNC Charlotte College of Education Room 010.

Lewis is an esteemed Israeli archaeologist affiliated with the University of Haifa. He will present his research on the battle of Hattin, which effectively ended the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187. His work has uncovered encampments of the Crusaders prior to battle. In his talk, he will survey the battle, document his new discoveries and describe what it tells about the history of the Crusades.

The Mount Zion Project, of which Lewis is an integral part, advances research and teaching in the humanities by bringing together students, scholars, and a diverse range of professionals in the study and practice of cultural transformation. At the heart of the program is a summer study abroad course in Jerusalem for UNC Charlotte students, who are joined by a large number of community participants from all over the world.