Prof Rehav Rubin, Elman Family Visiting Professor of Jewish and Israeli Studies, professor at the Department of Geography at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, gave a talk named "Jerusalem through its maps: 6th-19th centuries" to over 100 audience at HKUST on 2 November 2017.
In the talk, Prof Rubin, whose research areas focus on the history of cartography and mapping of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, shared with the audience his findings on the maps of Jerusalem through time, from the 6th century Madaba Mosaic map, to the early accurate maps from the late 19th century. As an expert in the geographical aspects of pilgrimage and Holy Places and historical geography of Israel/Palestine, especially in late antiquity, Prof Rubin showed how maps serve as a mirror through which we can look at the development of Jerusalem and at the perceptions of the Holy City held by European scholars and map-makers.
