King Tut Versus 秦始皇

I remember walking, in the spring of 2006, past my usual route over Walnut Street bridge and gazing occasionally at the King Tut exhibition banner that hung opposite the yellow gym on Walnut Street. One of weeks where the exhibition was in Philly, at the Franklin Museum, Rev. Ryken chose, for his regular "Window on the World" series, to look at the King Tut exhibition and contemplate the grandeur and extravagance of King Tut's obsession with immortality. Rev. Ryken pointed out that like all men, King Tutankhamun, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1333-1322 B.C. was afraid of death. Mortality is an issue that addresses all of, regardless of how we don't like to think about it, and someone pointed out (I can't remember who it was) that death comes to all, whether early or late - the great eventuality. The highlight of the exhibition as Rev Ryken reminded us, was the sheer luxury with which King Tut was going to approach the afterlife.



With his lush and opulent trappings, artifacts, embalmings and coffinage, King Tut was all set to face death head on, because, like the Chinese, he aspired to transfer his earthly wealth from one reality to the next. When I was young, I always wondered why people would spend so much time burning paper money for their dead relatives - did they actually believe they were TTing the cash over through the ATMs of hell? And the extravagance of the paper houses, cars, mansions, complete with maids and servants - did people really believe that those translated into some kind of spiritual reality? King Tut clearly did, and he planned to take his wealth and riches with him into eternity, into a kind of immortality through a kind of material preservation. Unfortunately, I didn't go to the exhibition, which I kind of regret- but, hey! It cost 40 bucks!



Now, in 2007, I've been walking past alot of British Museum advertisments, in particular when I pass through the tube station at Borough station on the Northern line, where I live. The current ongoing exhibition, installed till June 2008, features the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, and his legendary terracotta warriors. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, ruled from 247-221 B.C. Wikipedia (my ever handy source) has this to say about Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum:

"Qin Shi Huangdi’s necropolis complex was constructed to serve as an imperial compound or palace. It comprises several offices, halls and other structures and is surrounded by a wall with gateway entrances. The remains of the craftsmen working in the tomb may also be found within its confines, as it is believed they were sealed inside alive to keep them from divulging any secrets about its riches or entrance. It was only fitting, therefore, to have this compound protected by the massive terracotta army interred nearby. In July 2007 it was determined, using remote sensing technology, that the mausoleum contains a 90-foot tall building built above the tomb, with four stepped walls, each having nine steps. Researchers theorized it was built "for the soul of the emperor to depart." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_warriors

Like King Tut, Qin Shi Huang had an obsession fear the afterlife. After all, if you were the lord of a region, with absolute power over all the affairs of your nation, what more did you have to worry about? That kind of life would have just been a daily extravagance of sampling the best cheeses of the day, enjoying the very best of music, arts, literature, theater - the high life! I suppose, your only concern then, would be to prolong this state of enjoyment and pleasure - and immortality would be your next goal. Perhaps then, it is no surprise that Qin Shi Huang had a deep obsession with the cultivation of an elixir that would give him immortality and allow him to be, not only the First Emperor of China, but the last one too. Maybe that's what his stunning mausoleum was, then - a final recognition of his inability to attain immortality, and in a last burst of desperation, trying to retain his political power and wealth by recreating a masterpiece to accompany his soul in death. At some point, I'll have to visit the British Museum and this current exhibition then, exploring Qin Shi Huang's preoccupation with the afterlife. Alternatively, Tan Dun wrote an opera starring Placido Domingo of the same title, "THe First Emperor". Maybe I'll watch that instead. =)

Isn't it amazing, how two incredible rulers from such different cultural backgrounds all reflect the same kind of fixation with concerns of mortality? Egypt and China aren't exactly neighbors. And what about other great rulers and kings who concerned themselves with the state of their soul and death?

And perhaps we're not so different from our ancient predecessors after all?

But what does the Bible say? Mark 8:36 says, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?" And in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16 19-31):

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell,^[a] where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25"But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

And today, we have One who has indeed, come back from the dead. Perhaps we should listen to His teaching closer than anyone else's. It really doesn't matter how rich, or how famous you are when you're alive - all that matters is where you're going after you die.