The Clay Tablets From Babylon

Financial wisdom becomes truly valuable when it can survive beyond the life of the person who first discovered it. Advice spoken in conversation may eventually be forgotten, but knowledge recorded carefully can guide people for generations. In this chapter, *The Richest Man in Babylon* connects the ancient lessons of Dabasir with the modern world through the discovery of five clay tablets buried among the ruins of Babylon. The chapter begins with a letter dated **October 21, 1934**, written by Alfred Shrewsbury of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Nottingham to Professor Franklin Caldwell, who was associated with a British scientific expedition in Mesopotamia. During the excavation of ancient Babylon, five clay tablets had been discovered. The tablets contained inscriptions that needed to be translated and studied. At first, the discovery appeared to be another valuable archaeological finding. However, once the inscriptions were translated, their contents became surprisingly personal and practical. Rather than describing kings, wars, temples, or political events, the tablets recorded the financial struggles of **Dabasir**, the camel trader whose journey had been introduced in the previous chapter. The tablets revealed how Dabasir had returned to Babylon after a difficult period in his life. He had once been deeply in debt, had lost his freedom, and had suffered humiliation because he failed to control his spending. After escaping slavery and returning home, he became determined to restore his honour and repay everyone who had trusted him. What made the tablets especially remarkable was the simplicity of Dabasir's plan. His method did not depend on sudden wealth, exceptional income, or assistance from others. It relied on discipline, careful budgeting, and the steady division of every amount he earned. Alfred Shrewsbury was deeply impressed by the translated message. Although the tablets had been written thousands of years earlier, the financial problems described by Dabasir were almost identical to those faced by people in the modern world. Excessive spending, unpaid debts, financial anxiety, and the struggle to manage household expenses remained familiar challenges. Shrewsbury admitted that he and his wife had also experienced difficulty managing their personal finances. After studying Dabasir's method, they decided to apply the same principles to their own lives. This creates one of the chapter's most powerful ideas: sound financial wisdom does not lose its value simply because it is old. A practical system that worked in ancient Babylon can remain effective centuries later because the basic relationship between income, spending, saving, and debt has not changed. The contents of the five clay tablets gradually reveal Dabasir's complete plan. ## **Tablet 1** The first tablet records Dabasir's determination to rebuild his life after returning from Syria. He no longer wished to remain a man controlled by debt. He wanted to become respectable again, support his family properly, and prove that he was capable of honouring his obligations. To accomplish this, Dabasir established a clear system for dividing his income. He decided that **ten percent of everything he earned would belong to him**. This portion would be saved and would not be used for daily expenses or debt repayments. This decision reflected one of the central principles taught throughout the book: a person must pay themselves first. Without saving a portion of income, there is no opportunity to build financial security. Even someone with debt needs to begin creating savings because the habit of keeping money is necessary for long-term prosperity. Dabasir also decided that **seventy percent of his earnings would be used to support his household**. This amount would cover food, clothing, housing, and other essential needs. He made a firm promise that he and his family would not spend more than this portion, no matter how strong the temptation might be. The importance of this rule lies in its clear limit. Instead of spending first and worrying about the consequences later, Dabasir gave every part of his income a purpose before using it. He accepted that his desires would have to remain within the boundaries of what he could genuinely afford. This was not merely a mathematical plan. It required cooperation and sacrifice from his family. Living on seventy percent of his income meant that unnecessary comforts had to be reduced. However, these temporary sacrifices were necessary to escape the much greater burden of permanent debt. ## **Tablet 2** The second tablet explains how Dabasir intended to repay his creditors. After saving ten percent and using seventy percent for household expenses, the remaining **twenty percent of his income would be distributed among the people to whom he owed money**. Dabasir carefully recorded the name of every creditor. By doing so, he faced the full reality of his financial situation. He did not hide from the amount he owed or ignore the people waiting to be repaid. Listing every debt was an important psychological step. Financial problems often become more frightening when they remain unclear. Once debts are written down, organised, and connected to a practical repayment plan, they become easier to manage. Dabasir did not promise to repay everything immediately because he knew that such a promise would be unrealistic. Instead, he committed to paying each creditor regularly from the twenty percent allocated for debt repayment. This approach allowed him to make progress without neglecting his family's needs or abandoning the habit of saving. It created balance between present responsibilities, past obligations, and future security. ## **Tablet 3** The third tablet records the size of Dabasir's debt. He owed a total of **119 pieces of silver and 141 pieces of copper** to several lenders. When Dabasir presented his repayment plan, the creditors reacted differently. Some appreciated his honesty and accepted the arrangement. They understood that receiving regular payments was better than receiving nothing at all. Others mocked him and doubted that he would remain disciplined enough to fulfil his promise. From their perspective, Dabasir had already failed financially before, so there was little reason to trust him again. Their reaction highlights another challenge faced by people rebuilding their finances. Once trust has been damaged, words alone are rarely enough to restore it. Credibility must be earned gradually through consistent behaviour. Dabasir did not allow criticism to weaken his determination. He understood that the only way to silence those who doubted him was to follow his plan faithfully. Every payment would become evidence that he had changed. ## **Tablet 4** The fourth tablet provides the first record of Dabasir putting his plan into practice. After working as a camel trader, he earned **nineteen pieces of silver**. Instead of spending the entire amount, he divided it according to the system he had created. He saved approximately two pieces of silver for himself and used a portion of the remaining income to reduce his debts by around four pieces of silver. The amounts may appear small compared with everything he owed, but their significance was much greater than their size. For the first time, Dabasir was moving in the right direction. His purse was beginning to grow while his debt was beginning to fall. This illustrates an important lesson about financial recovery: progress does not need to be dramatic to be meaningful. Small improvements repeated consistently can eventually overcome even a large financial burden. Many people become discouraged because their first repayments seem insignificant. They focus on the total amount remaining rather than recognising the value of each successful step. Dabasir's experience shows that lasting change begins when a practical system is followed month after month. The fourth tablet also proves that saving and debt repayment do not always have to be treated as opposing goals. By directing ten percent toward savings and twenty percent toward creditors, Dabasir was able to work on both objectives simultaneously. Saving helped him develop the habits of a financially responsible person, while repaying debt restored his honour and reduced the burden of past decisions. ## **Tablet 5** The fifth and final tablet records the success of Dabasir's plan. As the months passed, he continued dividing his income according to the same proportions. He did not abandon the system when expenses increased, when his progress felt slow, or when some creditors criticised him. Eventually, his consistency changed the attitude of the people around him. The creditors who had once mocked him could no longer deny his sincerity. Every regular payment demonstrated that he was serious about fulfilling his obligations. Over time, Dabasir repaid all his debts. His success did not come from receiving a large inheritance, discovering treasure, or earning an extraordinary income. It came from taking control of the income already available to him. By saving ten percent, living on seventy percent, and using twenty percent for debt repayment, he gradually transformed his financial condition. The system worked because it was realistic. It allowed Dabasir to meet essential needs while making measurable progress. It did not demand impossible sacrifices, nor did it depend on unpredictable opportunities. The five tablets together present a complete financial recovery plan. First, acknowledge the problem honestly. Second, create a clear budget. Third, save a portion of every income. Fourth, limit household spending. Fifth, repay creditors consistently. Finally, remain patient enough for the plan to work. The chapter also demonstrates that financial recovery is closely connected to personal dignity. Dabasir did not view debt repayment merely as a financial obligation. He saw it as a way to become a man worthy of respect again. By honouring his promises, he repaired not only his finances but also his character and reputation. Each payment represented a step toward freedom, confidence, and self-respect. Alfred Shrewsbury's decision to use Dabasir's method reinforces the timeless nature of these principles. The tools of finance may change, but the need for budgeting, saving, controlled spending, and responsible debt repayment remains constant. Modern readers may receive salaries through bank accounts rather than silver coins, and debts may involve credit cards, personal loans, or mortgages rather than ancient moneylenders. Yet the underlying solution remains remarkably similar. Income must be divided intentionally rather than spent without a plan. The chapter ultimately teaches that debt does not have to become a permanent condition. Even when the total amount seems overwhelming, a disciplined repayment system can gradually restore financial stability. The central message of **The Clay Tablets From Babylon** is that determination supported by a practical plan can overcome serious financial difficulties. Dabasir succeeded because he stopped avoiding his problems and began taking consistent action. His ancient words continue to offer hope to anyone struggling with debt. A person does not need to solve every financial problem at once. They only need to establish a workable system, remain committed to it, and allow steady progress to produce lasting change.