We recently visited the site of the Terracotta Warriors, called Bingmayong in Chinese. Bingmayong is about 30 kilometers (or 19 miles) outside the city of Xi’an in central China.
The site was constructed by Qin Shi Huang (259-210 BC), the first emperor of China. After becoming king of the state of Qin at the age of 13, he conquered and unified the warring states. At 38 years old he declared himself the first emperor of China. (Shi Huangdi means First Emperor.) In addition to unifying China, he is credited with beginning construction on the Great Wall, and standardizing writing, units of measurement, and currency.
Although he was the most powerful person in China, Emperor Qin was not fearless. His fear of death drove him to search for an elixir that would give him eternal life. Some even believe this search led to his demise at the age of 49, suggesting that he was poisoned by mercury given to him by his alchemists. His fear of evil spirits is most apparent in his standing clay army, which he commissioned to protect him in the afterlife. Bingmayong is a grand monument to the fear of death.
The soldiers were hidden for more than 2200 years until 1974 when farmers digging for water discovered terracotta body parts underground. In total, about 8,000 clay soldiers have been discovered along with horses, chariots, weapons, and even acrobats. And the process of excavation and reconstruction continues.
The figures stand from 5.5 feet to 6.5 feet and weigh about 600 pounds each. They were originally painted in rich colors so imagine seeing them clothed in purple, red, green, black, and pink for skin color. The soldiers face east and would have been holding weapons because Emperor Qin’s greatest threat came from the east.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bingmayong is what has not been discovered. The standing army, located about a mile from Emperor Qin’s burial site, is only the tip of the iceberg. Experts say the total size of the unexcavated subterranean structure is about 98 square kilometers (or 38 square miles). The site includes a palace, inner and outer city walls, buildings, and rivers of mercury.
It’s incredible to think of how much thought and work was put into death in the ancient world. This particular mausoleum, which was unfinished when the emperor died, took 38 years to complete.
But prior to Christ and in a distant land what would anyone know about death? How would you think of death if you had never heard of Christ and his resurrection? How much would the fear of death govern your life?
According to the psychological concept known as Terror Management Theory, much of our behavior is influenced by our fear of death. Although we lack his resources, perhaps we are not as far away from Emperor Qin’s fear of death as we think.
It is Christ “who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10). It is Christ who came to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb. 2:15).
After graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, I served as a high school Bible teacher in Asia. I enjoy traveling, writing, and playing the drums. For a deep dive into church history and the character of God, see my book Surprised by Hell.