Rafi Lewis - Field Director

Rafi Lewis is an archaeologist who is currently conducting his PhD on the subject pf "Archaeology of Conflict" at the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa. He is currently directing an extensive survey with excavations in the eastern Galilee at the battle site of Hittin (1187). The aim of this study is to apply the approach and methods of “Archaeology of Conflict” to warfare in the Latin East as a whole, and to the decisive stage of the Battle of Hittin in particular. This is the first time a project of this kind has been carried out in Israel. This study incorporates a research model that will eventually facilitate the examination of archaeological evidence from other battlefields in this region.

Since 1998 he has been involved in a number of projects of Landscape and Urban Archaeology, as Field Supervisor, Co-Director and Director. Among them: Emmaus-Motza; the Titura hill in Modi’in; Suba (the "Cave of John the Baptist"); Ain Suba; Christ Church; Hinnom Valley (Aceldama); and Mount Zion.
Between the years 2004-2006 Rafi served as an archaeological inspector in the Judean Hills for the Israel Antiquities Authority and carried out archaeological projects at Latrun, Areb as-Sawarche, Fattir and Kefar Uria.

He has published a number of scientific articles and has undertaken background research for the final excavation reports of the Mount Zion work conducted in the 1970s.