Thebes and King Tut Tomb

QUESTION: Thebes - King Tut Tomb

ANSWER:

The Valley of the Kings near ancient Thebes is home to the tomb of King Tut. As incredible as the King Tut tomb and treasure turned out to be, we now know that it was robbed by ancient tomb raiders on probably more than one occasion. Many of the chambers were ransacked, and many of the smaller jewels and artifacts were pilfered long ago. However, even with this “burglarized condo” treatment, King Tut’s tomb continues as one of the richest and most complete ancient burial discoveries in human history.

Thebes – Real Treasure
Today, the remains of the treasures from the King Tut tomb reside at the Cairo Museum in Egypt. But it does leave us to wonder… If the Pharaohs themselves -- whose tombs were so cleverly concealed and so packed with riches for their enjoyment in the great beyond -- could neither take their wealth with them, nor even keep it from being ransacked by the most common of ancient criminals, what in the world are we doing trying to amass wealth for ourselves, only to leave it behind when we die?

Don’t get me wrong! I like my toys as much as the next person, but I think we all have to admit that there’s something discouraging, maybe even depressing, about the thought of working ourselves into the grave in order to accumulate a bunch of stuff that won’t do us any good in eternity! If tons of desert dirt, royal necropolis guards, and the threat of impalement couldn’t keep a Pharaoh’s treasures safe from common thieves in and around ancient Thebes, I doubt that burglar alarms, gated neighborhoods, and security patrols can do much better today.

In the Old Testament, the wealthy King Solomon ultimately acknowledged the vanity of it all -- a “chasing after the wind,” as he called it. And in the New Testament, Jesus gave us a better alternative when he said --

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also . . .