The Clay Tablets of Babylon
St.
SWITHIN'S COLLEGE
NOTTINGHAM
UNIVERSITY
Newark-on-Trent
Nottingham
October
21, 1934.
Professor
Franklin Caldwell,
Care
of British Scientific Expedition, Hillah, Mesopotamia.
My
dear Professor:
The
five clay tablets from your recent excavation in the ruins of Babylon arrived
on the same boat with your letter. I have been fascinated no end, and have
spent many pleasant hours translating their inscriptions. I should have
answered your letter at once but delayed until I could complete the
translations which are attached.
The tablets arrived without damage, thanks
to your careful use of preservatives and excellent packing.
You
will be as astonished as we in the laboratory at the story they relate. One
expects the dim and distant past to speak of romance and adventure.
"Arabian Nights" sort of things, you know. When instead it discloses
the problem of a person named Dabasir to pay off his debts, one realizes that
conditions upon this old world have not changed as much in five thousand years
as one might expect.
It's
odd, you know, but these old inscriptions rather "rag" me, as the
students say. Being a college professor, I am supposed to be a thinking human
being possessing a working knowledge of most subjects. Yet, here comes this old
chap out of the dust-covered ruins of Babylon to offer a way I had never heard
of to pay off my debts and at the same time acquire gold to jingle in my
wallet.
Pleasant
thought, I say, and interesting to prove whether it will work as well nowadays
as it did in old Babylon. Mrs. Shrewsbury and myself are planning to try out
his plan upon our own affairs which could be much improved.
Wishing
you the best of luck in your worthy undertaking and waiting eagerly another
opportunity to assist, I am,
Yours
sincerely,
Alfred
H. Shrewsbury,
Department
of Archaeology.
Tablet No. I
Now, when the moon becomes full, I, Dabasir, who am but recently returned from slavery in Syria, with the determination to pay my many just debts and become a man of means worthy of respect in my native city of Babylon, do here engrave upon the clay a permanent record of my affairs to guide and assist me in carrying through my high desires.
Under the wise advice of my good friend Mathon, the gold lender, I am determined to follow an exact plan that he says will lead any honorable man out of debt into means and self respect.
This plan includes three purposes which are my hope and desire.
First, the plan provides for my future prosperity.
Therefore one-tenth of all I earn shall be set aside as my own to keep. For Mathon speaks wisely when he says:
"That man who keeps in his purse both gold and silver that he need not spend is good to his family and loyal to his king.
"The man who hath but a few coppers in his purse is indifferent to his family and indifferent to his king.
But the man who has naught in his purse is unkind to his family and is disloyal to his king, for his own heart is bitter.
"Therefore, the man who wishes to achieve must have coin that he may keep to jingle in his purse, that he have in his heart love for his family and loyalty to his king."
Second, the plan provides that I shall support and clothe my
good wife who has returned to me with loyalty from the house of her father. For
Mathon says that ‘to take good care of a
faithful wife puts self-respect into the heart of a man and adds strength and
determination to his purposes.
Therefore seven-tenths of all I earn shall be used to provide a home, clothes to wear, and food to eat, with a bit extra to spend, that our lives be not lacking in pleasure and enjoyment. But he further enjoins the greatest care that we spend not greater than seven-tenths of what I earn for these worthy purposes.’ Herein lies the success of the plan. I must live upon this portion and never use more nor buy what I may not pay for out of this portion.
Tablet No. II
Third, the plan provides that out of my earnings my debts shall be paid.
Therefore each time the moon is full, two-tenths of all I have earned shall be divided honorably and fairly among those who have trusted me and to whom I am indebted. Thus in due time will all my indebtedness be surely paid.
Therefore, I here engrave the names of every man to whom I am indebted and the honest amount of my debt.
Fahru, the cloth weaver, 2 silver, 6 copper.
Sinjar, the couch maker, 1 silver.
Ahmar, my friend, 3 silver, 1 copper.
Zankar, my friend, 4 silver, 7 copper.
Askamir, my friend, 1 silver, 3 copper.
Harinsir, the jewel-maker, 6 silver, 2 copper.
Diarbeker, my father's friend, 4 silver, 1 copper.
Alkahad, the house owner, 14 silver.
Mathon, the gold lender, 9 silver.
Birejik, the farmer, 1 silver, 7 copper.
(From here on, disintegrated. Cannot be deciphered.)
Tablet No. III.
To
these creditors I owe in total one hundred and nineteen pieces of silver and
one hundred and forty-one pieces of copper. Because I owed these sums and saw
no way to repay, in my folly I permitted my wife to return to her father and
left my native city and sought easy wealth elsewhere, only to find disaster and
to see myself sold into the degradation of slavery.
Now that Mathon showed me how I can repay my debts in small sums out of my earnings, I realize the great extent of my folly in running away from the results of my extravagances.
Therefore I visited my creditors and explained to them that I have no resources with which to pay except my ability to earn, and that I intend to apply two-tenth of all I earn upon my indebtedness, evenly and honestly. This much can I pay but no more. Therefore if they be patient, in time my obligations will be paid in full.
Ahmar, whom I thought my best friend, reviled me bitterly and I left him in humiliation. Birejik, the farmer, pleaded that I pay him first as he badly needed help. Alkahad, the house owner, was indeed disagreeable and insisted that he would make me trouble unless I soon settled in full with him.
All the rest willingly accepted my proposal. Therefore I am more determined than ever to carry through, being convinced that it is easier to pay one's just debts than to avoid them. Even though I cannot meet the needs and demands of a few of my creditors I will deal impartially with all.
Tablet No. IV
Again the moon shines full. I have worked hard with a free mind. My good wife has supported my intentions to pay my creditors. Because of our wise determination, I have earned during the past moon, buying camels of sound wind and good legs, for Nebatur, the sum of nineteen pieces of silver.
This I have divided according to the plan. One-tenth have I set aside to keep as my own, seven-tenths have I divided with my good wife to pay for our living. Two-tenths have I divided among my creditors as evenly as could be done in coppers.
I did not see Ahmar but left the coins with his wife. Birejik was so pleased he would kiss my hand. Old Alkahad alone was grouchy and said I must pay faster. To which I replied that if I were permitted to be well fed and not worried, that alone would enable me to pay faster. All the others thanked me and spoke well of my efforts.
Therefore, at the end of one moon, my indebtedness is reduced by almost four pieces of silver and I possess almost two pieces of silver besides, upon which no man has claim. My heart is lighter than it has been for a long time.
Again the moon shines full. I have worked hard but with poor success. Few camels have I been able to buy. Only eleven pieces of silver have I earned. Nevertheless my good wife and I have stood by the plan even though we have bought no new raiment and eaten little but herbs. Again I paid ourselves one-tenth of the eleven pieces, while we lived upon seven-tenths. I was surprised when Ahmar commended my payment, even though small. So did Birejik. Alkahad flew into a rage but when told to give back his portion if he did not wish it, he became reconciled. The others, as before, were content.
Again the moon shines full and I am greatly rejoiced. I intercepted a fine herd of camels and bought many sound ones, therefore my earnings were forty-two pieces of silver. This moon my wife and myself have bought much needed sandals and raiment. Also we have dined well on meat and fowl.
More than eight pieces of silver we have paid to our creditors. Even Alkahad did not protest.
Great is the plan for it leads us out of debt and gives us wealth which is ours to keep.
Three times the moon had been full since I last carved upon this clay. Each time I paid to myself one-tenth of all I earned. Each time my good wife and I have lived upon seven-tenths even though at times it was difficult. Each time I paid to my creditors two-tenths.
In my purse I now have twenty-one pieces of silver that is mine. It makes my head stand straight upon my shoulders and makes me proud to walk among my friends.
My wife keeps well our home and is becomingly gowned. We are happy to live together.
The plan is of untold value. Has it not made an honorable man of an ex-slave?
Tablet No. V
Again the moon shines full and I remember that it is long since I carved upon the clay. Twelve moons in truth have come and gone. But this day I will not neglect my record because upon this day I have paid the last of my debts. This is the day upon which my good wife and my thankful self celebrate with great feasting that our determination has been achieved.
Many things occurred upon my final visit to my creditors that I shall long remember. Ahmar begged my forgiveness for his unkind words and said that I was one of all others he most desired for a friend.
Old Alkahad is not so bad after all, for he said, "You were once a piece of soft clay to be pressed and molded by any hand that touched you, but now you are a piece of bronze capable of holding an edge. If you need silver or gold at any time come to me."
Nor is he the only one who holds me in high regard. Many others speak deferentially to me. My good wife looks upon me with a light in her eyes that make a man have confidence in himself.
Yet it is the plan that made my success. It has enabled me to pay all my debts and to jingle both gold and silver in my purse. I commend it to all who wish to get ahead. For truly if it will enable an ex-slave to pay his debts and have gold in his purse, will it not aid any man to find independence? Nor am I, myself, finished with it, for I am convinced that if I follow it further it will make me rich among men.
ST.
SWITHIN'S COLLEGE
NOTTINGHAM
UNIVERSITY
Newark-on-Trent
Nottingham
November
7th, 1936
Professor
Franklin Caldwell,
Care
of British Scientific Expedition, Hillah, Mesopotamia.
My
dear professor:
If,
in your further digging into those ruins of Babylon, you encounter the ghost of
a former resident, an old camel trader named Dabasir, do me a favor. Tell him
that his scribbling upon those clay tablets, so long ago, has earned for him
the lif long gratitude of a couple of college folks back here in England.
You
will possibly remember my writing a year ago that Mrs. Shrewsbury and myself
intended to try his plan for getting out of debt and at the same time having
gold to jingle. You may have guessed, even though we tried to keep it from our
friends, our desperate straits.
We
were frightfully humiliated for years by a lot of old debts and worried sick
for fear some of the tradespeople might start a scandal that would force me out
of the college. We paid and paid— every shilling we could squeeze out of
income—but it was hardly enough to hold things even. Besides we were forced to
do all our buying where we could get further credit regardless of higher costs.
It
developed into one of those vicious circles that grow worse instead of better.
Our struggles were getting hopeless. We could not move to less costly rooms
because we owed the landlord. There did not appear to be anything we could do
to improve our situation.
Then,
here comes your acquaintance, the old camel trader from Babylon, with a plan to
do just what we wished to accomplish. He jolly well stirred us up to follow his
system. We made a list of all our debts and I took it around and showed it to
everyone we owed.
I
explained how it was simply impossible for me to ever pay them the way things
were going along. They could readily see this themselves from the figures. Then
I explained that the only way I saw to pay in full was to set aside twenty percent
of my income each month to be divided evenly, which would pay them in full in a
little over two years. That, in the meantime, we would go on a cash basis and
give them the further benefit of our cash purchases.
They
were really quite decent. Our greengrocer, a wise old chap, put it in a way
that helped to bring around the rest. "If you pay for all you buy and then
pay some on what you owe, that is better than you have done, for you haven't
paid down the account none in three years."
Finally
I secured all their names to an agreement binding them not to molest us as long
as the twenty per cent of income was paid regularly. Then we began scheming on
how to live upon seventy percent. We were determined to keep that extra ten per
cent to jingle. The thought of silver and possibly gold was most alluring.
It
was like having an adventure to make the change. We enjoyed figuring this way
and that, to live comfortably upon that remaining seventy per cent. Started
with rent and managed to secure a fair reduction. Next we put our favorite
brands of tea and such under suspicion and were agreeably surprised how often
we could purchase superior qualities at less cost.
It
is too long a story for a letter but anyhow it did not prove difficult. We
managed and cheerfully at that. What a relief it proved to have our affairs in
such a shape that we were no longer persecuted by past due accounts.
I
must not neglect, however, to tell you about that extra ten per cent we were
supposed to jingle. Well, we did jingle it for some time. Now don't laugh too
soon. You see, that is the sporty part. It is the real fun, to start
accumulating money that you do not want to spend. There is more pleasure in
running up such a surplus than there could be in spending it.
After
we had jingled to our hearts content, we found a more profitable use for it. We
took up an investment upon which we could pay that ten per cent each month.
This is proving to be the most satisfying part of our regeneration. It is the
first thing we pay out of my check.
There
is a most gratifying sense of security to know our investment is growing
steadily. By the time my teaching days are over it should be a snug sum, large
enough so the income will take care of us from then on.
All
this out of my same old check. Difficult to believe, yet absolutely true. All
our debts being gradually paid and at the same time our investment increasing.
Besides we get along, financially, even better than before. Who would believe
there could be such a difference in results between following a financial plan
and just drifting along.
At
the end of the next year, when all our old bills shall have been paid, we will
have more to pay upon our investment besides some extra for travel. We are
determined never again to permit our living expenses to exceed seventy per cent
of our income.
Now
you can understand why we would like to extend our personal thanks to that old
chap whose plan saved us from our 'Hell on Earth.'
He
knew. He had been through it all. He wanted others to benefit from his own
bitter experiences. That is why he spent tedious hours carving his message upon
the clay.
He
had a real message for fellow sufferers, a message so important that after five
thousand years it has risen out of the ruins of Babylon, just as true and just
as vital as the day it was buried.
Yours
sincerely,
Alfred
H. Shrewsbury,
Department
of Archaeology.