The Richest Man in Babylon

Th e Ric h e st Ma n in Babylon A review o f the c la ssic b y Ge o rg e S. Cla Cla so n

The Ric he st Ma M a n in Ba Ba b y lo lon n A review of t he c la ssic b y Ge orge S. Clason Clason

The Ric he st Ma M a n in Ba Ba b y lo lon n A review o f the c la ssic b y Ge o rg e S. Cla Cla so n The m os ostt insp insp iring b o ok o n w ea lth e ve r w ritte n! Be love d b y m ililllions ions,, this b e sts tse e lllling ing b o o k re re ve a ls the suc c e ss se c re ts of the a nc ients a nd ha s b ee n ha iled a s the g rea te st ins insp p ira ti tiona ona l wo rk on the sub jec t o f thri thrift, ﬁnanc ia l p la nni nning, ng, a nd p er ers sona l we a lth.

Ba sed on the o rig ina l id ea s o f Ge o rg e S. S. Clason Clason , w ho p ub lis ishe he d "The Ric he st M a n in Ba Ba b ylon" in in 1926, 1926, review ed b y The The Ric hes hestt M a n fo r ed uc a ti tiona ona l purp purp os oses es.. Copyright © 2001-2005 All rights reserved. The Ric he stM a nl nlnB nBa a b yl ylo o n.c om

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The Ric he st Ma n in Ba b ylon A review of t he c la ssic b y Ge orge S. Clason

Ta b le o f Co ntents

Introd uc tion………………………………………………………………... 4 Ch a p te r 1: The Ma n Who Desired Go ld ……………………………… 6 Cha p te r 2: The Ric he st Ma n In Ba b ylon……………………………… 8 Cha p te r 3: Seve n Cures For A Lea n Purse…………………………… 11 Ch a p te r 4: Me et The G od d ess Of G oo d Luc k……………………… 13 Cha p ter 5: The Five La w s Of G o ld…………………………………….. 14 Cha p te r 6: The Go ld Lend er Of Ba b ylon…………………………….. 16 Cha p te r 7: The Wa lls Of Ba b ylon………………………………………. 17 Cha p te r 8: The Ca m el Tra d er Of Ba b ylon…………………………… 18 Cha p te r 9: The Cla y Ta b lets From Ba b ylon………………………….. 20 Cha p te r 10: The Luc kiest M a n In Ba b ylon…………………………… 21

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Introduction

Mone y is the m ed ium b y which earthly success is measured.

Ahe a d of yo u stretc hes your future like a roa d lea ding into the d istanc e. Along that road are a mb itions you w ish to a c c om p lish… righte ous d esires you wish to g ra tify.

Money makes possible the enjoyment of the b est the ea rth affords.

To b ring yo ur a m b itions a nd d esires to fulfillm en t, you must b e suc c essful with m one y. Use the fina nc ial p rinc ip les ma d e c lea r in the p a ge s which follow . Let them g uide you aw ay from de pravity to that ha p p ier life tha t p ossessing fina nc ial resourc es m a kes p ossible.

Mo ney is p lentiful for those th a t und ersta nd the simp le law s whic h g ov ern its a c q uisition. Mo ney is go verned b y the sam e laws which c ontrolled it whe n p rosp erous me n throng ed the stree ts o f Ba b ylon, six tho usa nd years ag o.

Like t he law of g ra vity, fina nc ial princ iples a re universa l and unc ha nging. Ma y they p rove for you, as they ha ve p rove n for so m a ny ot he rs, a sure key to a p rosp erou s life . Plea se c on tinue rea d ing a nd enjoy this insp ira tiona l work. Yours in a b unda nc e! The Ric he st M a n

Babylon In the p a g es of histo ry, there lives no c ity mo re g lam orous tha n Ba b ylon . Ba b ylon is a n outsta nding e xa mp le o f ma n's ab ility to a c hieve grea t things, using wha teve r me a ns a re a t his d isp osa l. All of its riche s we re ma n-ma d e. The e xce p tion a l rulers of Ba b ylo n live in histo ry be c a use o f the ir w isd om , ente rp rise a nd justice . As a c ity, it no lon g er exists a nd the wh ole v a lley is a n a rid w a stela nd . No-one knew of its existe nc e un til a rc he o log ists m a d e d isc ov eries in their exc a va tion s. The re a re hundred s of tho usa nd s of c la y tab lets tha t ha ve b ee n rec ove red to e nlighte n us a s to the ad vanc ed nature of the inhab itants. The y ha ve t he first know n a strono m ers, en g inee rs, m a the m a tic ian s, fina nc iers a nd first written langua ge . Know n fo r its m a ssive wa lls a roun d the c ity, the c ity has fa llen, ne ver to rise a g a in, b ut t o it civiliza tion o w es m uc h. The w isd om o f Ba b ylon live s on ...


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Geo rge Sam uel Clason Born in M isso uri in 1874, he a tte nd ed University of Neb ra ska, serve d in the US Army a nd b eg a n a long c a ree r in pub lishing. He p ub lished the first roa d a tlas of United Sta tes. In 1926, he issue d the first o f a fa m ou s se ries o f p a m p hlets o n thrift a nd fina nc ial suc c ess using Ba b ylonia n p a ra b les. These we re d istribute d in la rg e q ua ntities b y financ ial institution s, the m ost fa m ou s b eing The Rich est M a n In Ba b ylon.


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Cha p ter 1: The Ma n Who Desired Go ld " … he g a zed sa d ly a t his simp le ho me a nd the o pe n wo rkshop in which stoo d a p a rtia lly co mp leted cha riot.

Characters: Ba nsir - Cha rio t Build er Kob b i – Music ian Arka d - The Riche st M a n In Ba b ylon

His wife freq uent ly ap p ea red a t the d oo r. Her furtive g lanc es in his d irec tion rem inde d him tha t the me al ba g wa s almost em pty a nd he should be at wo rk." Ba nsir, the c ha riot b uild er, wa s too eng rossed in his ow n prob lem to b e b ot hered b y the noise o f industry within the wa lls of Ba b ylon . The c ity wa s a mix of g ra nd eur a nd sq ua lor - incred ible d isp lays of w ea lth a nd the d irest p ov erty. Bansir c ould no t understand why he w orked so ha rd a nd wa s still numb ered a mo ngst the lowly. He w a s so c a ug ht up with his d elib erations tha t he w a s no t a wa re o f his friend Kob b i wa lking tow a rd s him p laying his lyre. Kob bi’ s elab orate salute we nt unno ticed , muc h less his req ue st fo r 'tw o h um b le she kels'! "If I did ha ve tw o shekels," Ba nsir resp on d ed g loom ily, "to no one c ould I lend them - not eve n to you, my be st of friend s; for they w ould b e m y fortune - my e ntire fo rtune . No o ne le nd s his en tire fo rtun e, no t e ve n to his b est friend s." Sho c ked , Kob b i liste ned to Ba nsir rec a ll his d a y d rea m . Ba nsir d rea m t he wa s a ma n o f me a ns a nd enjoyed the g lorious feeling of c onte ntme nt a nd surp lus go ld flow ing from his p urse . “ ... so wh y shou ld suc h p lea sa nt fe eling s a s it aroused turn thee into a g lum sta tue o n the w a ll?" sa id Kob b i. "Why inde ed ! Bec a use w hen I a w oke a nd rem em be red how e mp ty was my purse, a feeling of reb ellion swep t over me." Let us ta lk it ove r to g et he r... Rec a lling the ir d a ys a s young me n, Ba nsir a nd Kob b i to uc hed on t heir expe rienc es with mo ney. They ha d e a rned so m uc h go ld o ver the yea rs b ut did no t have a nything to show for it. They bo th had hop ed that o ne d a y; p rosp erity would b e b estow ed upo n the m! They w ere c om ing to th e rea liza tion tha t suc h a b lessing wa s not imm inent, often p lanning a nd sc hem ing tha t the ir fa milies d idn't g o h ung ry. Ba nsir's d isma l m oo d soo n c aug ht hold with Kob bi, bo th of them e ntirely m iserab le reac hing their threshold a nd c om ing up w ith their be st idea y et! "We d o n o t w ish to g o o n yea r a fte r yea r living slavish live s. Wo rking w o rking , wo rking! Ge tting no whe re." Might w e not find out ho w o thers a c quire g old a nd d o a s they d o? Kob b i inquired . "Perhap s there is som e sec ret we mig ht lea rn if we b ut soug ht from those who kne w," rep lied Ba nsir tho ug htfu lly.


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They rem em b ered a friend , Arkad , who the y had sc hoo led with who wa s 'blessed with p rosp erity', a nd the c ity c laime d to b e 'The Riche st Ma n In Ba b ylon'. The y de c ide d to c onsult Arkad . "Thou m a kest me rea lize the rea son w hy we h a ve ne ver found a ny me a sure o f wealth. We ne ve r soug ht it!” ..."In tho se th ing s to wa rd wh ich w e e xerted ou r b est end ea vors we suc c ee d ed . It bidd eth us to learn mo re that we ma y prospe r more. With a new unde rsta nd ing we sha ll find mo re ho norab le w a ys to accomplish our desires." "Let us g o to Arka d this ve ry d a y", Ba nsir urge d . Bansir and Kob bi proc eed ed to g ather a group of b oyhood friend s who ha d ne ed of the sam e guida nce .


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Cha p ter 2: The Ric hest Ma n In Ba b ylo n Arka d w a s fa me d a c ross the la nd for his g rea t we a lth, libe ra lity, a nd g ene rosity with fam ily and c ha rity. The g roup tha t Ba nsir a nd Kob b i had a ssem b led op ene d up the ir d isc ussion w ith som e interesting p erce p tions a b out life.

Characters: Arka d - The Riche st M a n In Ba b ylon Ba nsir - Cha riot Builde r Kob b i - Musician Aiga mish - Wea lthy ma n Ag ge r - Shieldm a ker Azmur - Brickmaker

"Why then shou ld a fic kle fa te single yo u out to enjoy all the g oo d things of life a nd igno re us who a re e q ually de serving?" "If you have not ac quired mo re than a ba re e xistence in the ye ars since we were yo uths, it is be c ause you ha ve e ither failed to lea rn the law s that go vern the building o f wea lth, or else y ou d o no t ob serve them. ‘ Fickle fa te ’ is a vicious g od d ess who b rings no p ermane nt go od to a nyone ... ma kes wa nton sp end ers, w ho soo n d issipa te a l the y rec eive." Ea sy mo ney d oe sn't stick a roun d is wh a t Arkad p rea c hes. So true. Think of p eo p le c lose to you w ho ha ve w on lotte ries a nd the like. The fa r majority a re w ithout tod a y! Arkad wa s a sked the ob vious q uestion a bo ut ho w he has a c q uired his fortune. He ma d e a n a ssessme nt from h is ea rly yea rs tha t the things tha t b roug ht ha p p iness a nd co ntentment w ere m ag nified by the existence of we alth. "Wea lth is po we r. With wea lth ma ny things are p ossible." When he ha d t his rea liza tion, he d ec ide d t o c laim his sha re o f the g oo d t hings of life b ec a use he w ould not b e satisfied with the lot o f a p oo r ma n. He d ete rmined the following; 1. He w ould ha ve to imme rse himself and stud y wealth acc umulation. 2. Onc e learned , he w ould follow the laws and do it well. Arkad explained to the g roup tha t there wa s two type s of learning. One w a s the things we lea rned and knew, the o ther the training tha t ta ught us how to find out wha t we do n't know. Arkad fo und e mp loyme nt as a sc ribe a nd lab ored for many mo nths without anything to show for it. One o f Arkad 's c lients, a w ea lthy ma n c a lled Alga mish, wa nted a job d one ove r night. Arkad in exc ha ng e fo r suc h prom p t servic e requ este d Alga mish to inform him a s to how he ma y too be co me w ealthy. The first piec e o f ad vic e from Alga mish - "I found the road to w ea lth whe n de c id ed tha t a pa rt o f all I ea rned wa s mine to keep ." The a d vic e to save no less tha n a tenth o f wha t Arka d ea rned wa s the sta rt of a tra nsforma tion. "Every gold piec e that y ou save is a slave to w ork for you. Every c op pe r it ea rns is its c hild that a lso c an ea rn for you."


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When Arkad me t up with Alga mish twe lve m onths la ter, he ha d sa ved a tenth o f his ea rning s b ut h a d g iven it to Azm ur the Bricklaye r to invest in ra re jew els. This w a s w he re Alga mish's next piec e of a d vic e w as to m a ke a c ha nge for Arkad . "Every foo l must lea rn," he g row led , "b ut w hy trust the know led g e o f a Brickma ker a b out jewe ls?” ... "next time if you wo uld ha ve a d vic e a bo ut jew els, go to the jew el mercha nt." "Advice is one thing that is freely g iven aw ay , but watc h that you ta ke only wha t is worth having." The jew els the Brickm a ker b ou g ht w e re w o rthless a nd Arka d le a rnt th e lesso n. The h a b it to sa ve w as now fully entrenche d so he q uic kly am a ssed mo re g old. After anothe r twe lve m onths, Alga mish returned to me et w ith Arkad . Arkad rep orted tha t he ha d b ee n loa ning his sa vings to Ag g er the Shield ma ker wh o w a s p a ying interest on t he b o rro w ings. So m e o f his g old he w a s using f or fea sts a nd b uying luxuriou s item s. Alga mish a d vised furthe r; "You d o ea t the c hild ren o f your sa vings." "Then how d o you e xp ec t the m t o w ork for you? And how c a n they ha ve c hild ren tha t w ill also w ork for you? First g e t thee a n army of golden slaves and then ma ny a rich b anquet ma y you e njoy without reg ret." Ano the r 24 mo nths p a sses a nd Alga mish c om p lime nts Arka d on his rigid a d herenc e to his teachings. "Arkad ," he c on tinued , "you ha ve lea rned the lessons well. You first lea rned to live on le ss than y ou e arn. Next you learned to seek ad vice from those who were competent... a nd . La stly, you ha ve lea rned to m a ke go ld wo rk for you." Arkad had lea rned how to a c quire m oney, how to keep it a nd how to use it. Alga mish ma d e Arka d a n offe r he c ould n't refuse - to w ork with him a nd sha re in his esta te . One of the group Arkad wa s ad dressing c omm ented that he w as fortunate to be ma de an heir. Arkad rep lied , "Fortuna te only in tha t I had the d esire to p rosp er b efo re I first m et him." "Op p ortunity is a ha ughty g od d ess who wa stes no time with those who a re unprepared." "Will p o w er is b ut th e un flinc hing p urpo se t o c a rry a t a sk yo u set for yourself to fulfillment." "When I set a ta sk for myse lf, I c o m p lete it. The refo re , I a m c a refu l not t o sta rt d iffic ult an d imp ra c tica l tasks, be c a use I love leisure." "Wea lth grows w hereve r me n exert energy."


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Arkad explains tha t you m ust live w ith the thoug ht tha t; "A pa rt of all I earn is mine to ke ep ." Think ab out it m orning, noo n a nd night. "Im p ress you rse lf with t he ide a . Fill yourself w ith th e tho ug ht." "As it grows it will stimulate you." Make gold be your slave. Seek wise counsel. The g roup tha nked Arka d for the d isc ussion a nd d isp ersed - som e silent a nd still not und ersta nd ing, sa rc a stic thinking th a t A rkad sho uld d ivid e his ma ssive fortune with them ! Others wa lked a wa y with a ne w light in their eyes a nd freq uently co unseled with Arka d w ho g a ve freely of his wisd om .


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Cha p ter 3: Seve n C ures For A Lea n Purse Go od King Sa rgo n wa s la me nting the sta te o f the c ity. The ric h w ere ge tting ric her and p oo r p oo rer. All of the g old o f the c ity has found its wa y into the ha nd s of "a fe w ve ry rich m en o f our c ity."

Characters: Arka d - The Riche st M a n In Ba b ylon Go od King Sa rgo n Ag ge r - Shieldm a ker

"Why should so fe w me n b e a b le to a c q uire a ll the g old?" sa id the King. "Bec a use the y know how ," rep lied the Cha nc ellor. "One m ay not c ond em n a ma n for suc c ee d ing b ec a use he knows how ." "Who knows b est in all our city how to b ec om e we a lthy, Cha nc ellor? Asked the King. "Thy q ue stion a nsw ers fo r itself, your m a jesty. Who ha s a m a ssed the g rea te st w ea lth in Ba b ylon ?" "Arka d " rep lied the C ha nc ellor. Arka d wa s invite d to a p p ea r b efo re the King. The sta rt o f the c onve rsa tion sum s up the topic. "How be c am est thou so wea lthy?" "You ha d st no thing to sta rt w ith?" a sked the King "Only a g reat de sire for wea lth. Beside s this, no thing ." sta te d Arka d . " Is there a ny sec ret to a c q uiring we a lth? Ca n it be ta ught ?" a sked the King. "It is p ra c tica l, your ma jesty. Tha t wh ich o ne m a n know s c a n b e ta ug ht to ot hers." rep lied Arkad . The King w ished for the know led ge tha t Arkad had ac c rued to b e sha red with the city folk. The King selec te d the 'Cho sen Hund red " to sit with Arka d . The g rea t m a n sto od be fore the hundred and explained how he ha d ha d no thing a s a youth other than an em p ty p urse. He soug ht e very rem ed y for a lea n p urse a nd foun d seve n. The Seve n Cu res for a Lea n C urse ; 1. Start thy purse to fattening "For eve ry ten c oins tho u p lac est w ithin thy p urse ta ke o ut fo r use b ut nine. Thy p urse w ill sta rt to fa tte n a t onc e a nd its increa sing w eight w ill fee l g oo d in thy ha nd a nd b ring sa tisfa c tion to thy soul." 2. Control thy expenditures "Bud g et thy expe nses tha t tho u m a yest ha ve c oins to p a y for thy nec essities, to p a y for thy enjoym ent s a nd to g ra tify thy wo rthw hile d esires w itho ut sp end ing m ore tha n nine-tenths of t hy ea rnings." 3. Make thy gold multiply "Put ea c h c oin to lab oring tha t it ma y rep rod uc e its kind eve n a s floc kso f the field a nd help to b ring to thee incom e, a strea m of we alth that shall flow c on sta ntly into thy p urse."


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4. Guard thy trea sures from loss "Gua rd thy trea sure from loss b y investing o nly whe re thy p rincip le issa fe, w he re it ma y be reclaime d if desira b le, and whe re tho u will not fail to c ollec t a fa ir renta l. Co nsult with wise m en. Sec ure the a d vic e o f those e xpe rienc ed in the p rofita b le ha nd ling o f go ld. Let the ir wisd om p rot ec t thy trea sure from unsa fe investm ent s." 5. Make of thy dwelling a p rofitable investment "Own thy own hom e." 6. Insure a future incom e "Provide for in ad vanc e for the need s of thy growing a ge and the protec tion of thy fa mily." 7. Increase thy ability to earn "Cultivat e thy ow n p ow ers, to stud y and b ec om e w iser, to b ec om e mo re skilful, to a c t a s to resp ec t thyself." Arkad end ed his lec ture urging the hundred that the re is mo re g old tha n you c a n d rea m o f, ab und a nc e fo r a ll, so g o fo rth "g row we a lthy, a s is your right."


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Chap ter 4: Mee t The God de ss Of Goo d Luc k Characters: Arka d - The Riche st M a n In Ba b ylon

"If a ma n b e luc ky, the re is no forete lling the p ossible e xte nt o f his g oo d fortune. Pitch him into the Eup hra te s a nd like a s not he will swim o ut w ith a p ea rl in his ha nd ." - Ba b ylonia n Prov erb Arka d c ont inues to a d d ress the King's Cho sen Hund red . Is there a w ay to a ttrac t good luck?

Mo st w ould think first of the ga ming ta b les. When a ma n p lays the g a me s, the c hanc es for profit are alwa ys a ga inst him a nd in favo r of the g am e kee p er. Even if he we re to win, d o the winnings bring p ermane nt b ene fit? As Arkad sa ys, "I a m unab le to na me a single o ne w ho sta rte d his suc c e ss from suc h a sou rc e. "Is it not natural if we c onc lud e a profita b le transa c tion to c onsid er it not go od luck b ut a just rew a rd for our e fforts? "Why not c on side r the suc c esses we a lmost enjoyed but w hic h esca pe d us, hap pe nings which c ould have be en mo re p rofitab le. They wo uld have be en rare e xam ples of g oo d luc k if they had ac tually hap pened ." "Goo d luck waits to c om e to tha t ma n who a c c ep ts op po rtunity." We a ll ha ve c ou ntless situations w here w e reg ret a fterwa rd s not a c ting swiftly eno ug h. Proc ra stination ve ry ofte n g ets in the wa y of g oo d luck! We d esire ric hes, yet , how o ften when opportunity presents itself, the spirit of procrastination urges delays in our ac cep tance and we b ecom e our own enemy. Som e o f us grasp op p ortunity b y the ho rns and mo ve to wa rd s gratifying our de ep est d esires, while t he ma jority he sita te , falter and fa ll be hind. "To a ttrac t goo d luc k to one self, it is nec essary to take a dva ntag e of opportunities." "Men of ac tion a re favored by the God de ss of Good Luc k."


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Cha p ter 5: The Five La ws Of Go ld "A ba g hea vy with gold or a c lay tab let c arved with wo rd s of w isd om ; if thou ha d st thy c hoice , which w ouldst thou c hoo se?"

Characters: Arkad - The Ric he st M a n In Babylon Nomasir - son of Arkad

Mo st p eo p le w ould ta ke the g old a nd run right?! Igno re the w isd om , wa ste the go ld and c om e w hining w hen there is naug ht. "Gold is reserved for those wh o kno w its law s and ab ide by them ." In other words, listen in and follow these simple lessons. Nomasir, Arkad's son wasn't like a ny other wea lthy heir. He ha d to e a rn his inherita nc e, for Arkad d id not a pp rove of giving w ithout evide nc e of the a b ility to ac q uire, p rote c t and multip ly we a lth. Noma sir wa s given one b a g o f gold a nd a c a rved ta blet with the five la ws of go ld . He wa s then sent a wa y to experienc e the world, lea rn the laws and c om e b ac k to his inheritanc e in ten years a c ap ab le a nd wo rthy man. Ten yea rs p a ssed a nd like it wa s yeste rd a y, Nom a sir sto od b efo re Arka d to g ive a n a c c ount o f the last ten yea rs. "Tho u ga ve m e lib erally of thy g old . Thou g a ve m e lib erally of thy w isd om . Of thy g old , alas! I mu st a d mit o f a d isa strous ha nd ling. It fled , ind ee d , from my experienc ed ha nds even a s a wild ha re flee s a t the first o p p ortunity from the youth w ho c a p tures it." Nom a sir g oe s on to to e xp la in his misfortune w ith misha nd ling the initial ba g of g old . He lost sub sta ntially with a wa g er, the n b uying a b usiness tha t w a sn't a ll it w a s p ortra yed to b e a nd sp end ing unw isely on num erous unne c essa ry pu rc ha ses. In the end Nom a sir sold his horses, his slave a nd rob es in ord er that he m a y ea t a nd ha ve a p lac e to sleep . "But in those b itter d a ys, I rem em b ered thy c onfid enc e in me , my fa the r. Tho u ha d st sent m e forth to be c om e a ma n, a nd t his I wa s d ete rmined to a c c om p lish." "I rea d mo st c a refully thy words of w isd om , a nd rea lized tha t ha d I b ut soug ht wisd om first, my go ld wo uld not ha ve b ee n lost to me ." The Five La ws Of Gold 1. Gold co meth gladly and in increa sing q uantity to a ny man who w ill put b y not less tha n o ne-te nth o f his ea rnings to c rea te a n e sta te for his future a nd tha t o f his fam ily. 2. Gold labo reth d ilige ntly and c ontented ly for the w ise o wner who finds for it p rofitab le em p loyme nt, multip lying eve n a s the floc ks of the field.


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3. Gold c lingeth to the p rotec tion of the c autious ow ner who invests it under the ad vic e o f wise me n in its ha nd ling. 4. Go ld slip p eth a wa y from the m a n w ho invests it in businesses or purposes with w hich he is not fa milia r or whic h a re no t a p p rov ed b y those skilled in its keeping. 5. Gold flees the ma n who wo uld forc e it to impossible ea rnings or who follow et h the a d vice of tricksters a nd sc hem ers or wh o trusts it to his ow n inexp erienc e a nd rom a ntic d esires in investm ent . Noma sir be ga n to slow ly sa ve c op p ers, then silver and fina lly ad d ing to g old b eg a n ma king investm ent s und er the g uida nc e o f wise m en. As the yea rs we nt o n, his fortune grew a t a n inc rea sing rate . "Through m y m isfortunes, my trials and my suc c ess, I have tested time and time ag ain the wisdo m of the five laws of gold , my father, and proven them true in ev ery te st." "Wealth that c om es q uic kly goe th the sa me wa y." "Wealth that sta yeth to give e njoyme nt a nd sa tisfac tion to its ow ner co me s gradually."


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Cha p ter 6: The G old Lend er Of Ba b ylo n

Characters: Ma thon - Gold Lend er Rod a n – Spe a rma ker Araman - Rodan's brother-in-law

Rod a n wa s fee ling p a rticula rly p lea sed with himself.As he w a lked , he liste ned to the p leasa nt sou nd of g o ld p iec es tinkling in his p urse . He ha d neve r ha d so mu c h g old in his p ossession - fifty p iec es of g old !

He w a s d elib erating a s to w here a nd how to invest his fortune. He tho ug ht he shou ld see k the g uid a nc e of Ma thon, the Gold Lend er. "Ma ny men c om e to me for go ld to p a y for their follies, but a s for a d vic e, they wa nt it not. Yet w ho is mo re a b le to a dvise tha n the lende r of g old to who m ma ny men c ome in troub le?" Ro d a n w a s slig htly pe rp lexed fo r his loving siste r ha d req ue ste d so m e o f his g old to b orrow for her husb a nd ’ s (Ara m a n) new b usiness ven ture. "I w ill tell it to the e fo r tho u sho uldst know t ha t to b orrow ing a nd lend ing the re is mo re tha n the p a ssing o f go ld from the ha nds of o ne to the ha nds of a nothe r." "If you d esire to help thy friend then d o so in a wa y tha t w ill not b ring thy friend 's burden upon thyself." Ma tho n d esc ribe s his loa n p roc ess. He kee p s a to ken c hest, a to ken for ea c h loa n until it is rep a id . Som e t o kens w ill alw a ys sta y in the c he st. The sa fe st loa n, he re c ou nts, is w he re t he b orrow er ha s p ossessions g rea te r tha n th e va lue of the one the y de sire. Suc h loans are ba sed on p rop erty. If nec essa ry, these c a n b e sold to rep a y the loa n. Others have the c a p a c ity to e a rn to rep a y the loa n a nd interest. They w ill ha ve inc om e a s long a s the y are hon est a nd suffer no m isfo rtune . Suc h loans are ba sed o n inco me . Othe rs neithe r ha ve p rop erty or enoug h inco me . Their b orrow ings a re guaranteed b y fam ily or go od friend s. "I d o no t d isc ourag e b orrow ing go ld . I enc ourag e it. I rec om me nd it if it b e for a w ise p urpo se." Ma tho n ha s a d ec ent sc ree ning p roc ess a s we ll. In a nswe r to Rod a n 's q uestion a b out lend ing to A ra ma n - Ma thon w ould ne ver lend for his p urp ose. "His a mb ition, thoug h w orthy, is not prac tica l and I wo uld not lend him a ny go ld ." It is ea sy to lend . If it is lent unw isely, it is d iffic ult to g et b a c k." "I like no t id le g o ld, e ve n less I like t o o m uc h o f risk." Ma thon's pa rting wo rd s a p ply to bo rrow er a nd lend er. "Better a little c aution tha n a grea t reg ret."


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Cha p ter 7: The Wa lls Of Ba b ylo n

Characters: Old Ba nzar - Wa rrior

Ba b ylon e nd ured for c entury a fter c entury b ec a use it was fully p rot ec te d b y one hu nd red a nd sixty feet w a lls. Ba nza r wa s a va lia nt old w a rrior that stood gua rd at the p assag ewa y lea ding to the top of the a ncient wa lls of Bab ylon. This d a y, as it la y siege , he h a s the va nta g e p oint fo r new s. He wa s the c losest to the c onflic t a nd first to he a r of ea c h new , frenzied at ta c k. Ma ny worried Ba b ylonian p eo p le ap proac hed him to get the late st news. To the me rc ha nt who wa s c onc erned a b out his unprotec ted wife, Ba nza r sa id "Ca lm thyself, go od me rc ha nt." The w ife w ith a sick husb a nd , Ba nza r ret orte d , "Ba c k to th y husb a nd . Tell him t he g a te s a re strong a nd withsta nd ra ms a nd sc a lers c lim b ing the w a lls. Watc h thy way." To the fright e ne d c hild , Ba nza r re a ssured he r, sa ying, "The w a lls o f Ba b ylon w ill protec t you and mo ther and little b rother and ba by." After nearly four we eks of c ontinuous b a ttering, the w a lls of Ba b ylon ha d onc e a ga in rep ulsed it en em ies. "We c annot afford to b e without ade qua te protection."


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Cha p ter 8: The C a m el Trad er Of Ba b ylo n "The hun g rier one b ec om es, the c lea rer o ne 's m ind w o rks."

Characters: Ta rka d - son of Azure Dab a sir - Ca m el Trad er Ka uskor - Pro p riet or

Ta rkad ha d no t ta sted food for two who le d a ys. He ran into som eo ne he wo uld have p referred to a void - the Ca me l Tra d er ca lled Dab a sir. Ta rkad ow ed Dab a sir c op p er and silver piec es. "III fortune p ursues eve ry ma n who thinks m ore of b orrowing than o f rep ay ing." sa id the larg e Da b a sir a s he sa t e a ting in fron t o f the fa mished Ta rkad . "I d id he a r of a tra veler just retu rned from Urfa o f c ertain rich m a n who ha s a p iec e o f sto ne so t hin you c a n see throug h it." "Ta rkad ? Thinkest a ll the w orld c ould loo k to a ma n a d ifferent c olor from wha t it is? Asked Dab a sir. Dab a sir, wa nting to tea c h Ta rkad a lesson o r two b eg a n to tell him a nd the o nloo kers in the resta ura nt how he c a me to b e a Ca me l Tra d er after be ing a sla ve in Syria . Dab a sir borrow ed from his friend s a nd c ould not rep a y them . Things we nt from b a d to wo rse. His w ife returned to her fat her a nd he left Ba b ylon . He fe ll in with rob b ers a nd we re t a ken to Dam a sc us a nd sold a s sla ves. Dab a sir wa s p urc ha sed for two silver piec es b y a Syria n de sert chief and b ec a me a c a me l tend er for his d a ughte r who is intrigued with Dabasir's background. "If a ma n ha s within him t he soul of a free ma n, will he not b ec om e resp ec ted a nd ho nored in his ow n c ity in sp ite of his misfortune?" "Ha ve you a d esire to rep a y the just d eb ts you o we in Ba b ylon ? She p a rried . "Yes I ha ve the d esire, b ut see no w a y." Sa id Da b a sir. “ … Thou h ast b ut the c onte mp tib le soul of a sla ve. No m an is otherwise w ho c annot respe c t himself and no m an c an respe c t himself who d oes not rep ay hone st d eb ts." Dab a sir's d eb ts we re his ene my a nd he ha d b ee n run out o f tow n. If he ha d stoo d up and fought like a ma n, he wo uld have found respe c t. "If I ha d the soul of a free ma n, I wo uld forc e m y wa y ba c k into Bab ylon, rep a y the p eo p le w ho ha d t rusted me , bring ha p p iness to m y wife w ho truly love d m e and bring p eac e a nd c ontentment to me p arents." "Then a stra nge thing ha p p ene d . All the w orld see me d to b e a d ifferent c olor. At last I sa w the true v a lues in life." "I w a s thrilled w ith the g rea t reso lve."


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Ta rkad , wh o ha d liste ned intently, w a s ove rc om e w ith em ot ions. "Thou ha st show n m e a vision; alrea dy I fee l the soul o f a free m an surge w ithin me." Where the de termination is, the w ay c an be found.


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Cha p ter 9: The Cla y Ta b lets From Ba b ylo n Alfred rep orts to Prof. Ca ld w ell of th e five ta b lets found in the e xc a va tions in Me sop ot a mia . The ta b let s sp ea k of Da b a sir a nd his expe rienc e p a ying off his d eb ts and ga ining resp ec t a s a Ba b ylonian c itizen. Alfred p lans to p ut Da b a sir's me tho d olog ies to wo rk in his ow n life e ven tho ug h it wa s five thousa nd yea rs henc e.

Characters: Dab a sir - Ca me l Trad er Ma thon - Gold Lend er Prof. Fran klin Ca ldw ell Archeo log ist - Mesop ota mia Alfred H. Shrew sb ury - Arc he olo g ist - Nott ingha m University

The ta b let s a re t ra nslate d to reve a l the sto ry of Da b a sir's ret urn to Ba b ylon a fter b eing a slave in Syria. Da b a sir c on sulted Ma tho n the G old Lend er as to p utting a p lan into place. 1. Firstly, the p la n p rovid es for his future p rosp erity. One-te nth o f his ea rnings we re p ut a sid e fo r his ow n to keep . 2. Sec ond ly, seve n-tenths of his ea rnings p a id fo r a ll living expe nses. 3. Third ly, two -tenths of his ea rnings p rovide d a wa y for his d eb ts to b e p a id out over a time. Dab a sir visited with his c red itors to let th em know how he w ould rep a y the 119 p iec es of silver and 141 p iec es of c op p er. He rec eived mixed rea c tions from creditors. "My hea rt is lighter than it hath be en for som e time ." The t a b let s c ont inue to rela y the sto ry of his g ra d ua l rep a yme nt o f d eb ts, his wife b uying muc h nee d ed sup p lies a nd p ersona l effe c ts, a nd his c red itors slowly ga ining resp ec t for Dabasir. "My goo d wife looketh upon m e with a light in her eyes that doth ma ke a ma n have c onfide nce in himself." "Ye s it is the p lan t ha t ha s m a d e m y suc c e ss." "I a m c on vince d tha t if I follow it furthe r it will ma ke me rich a mo ng me n." sa id Dab a sir p roud ly. Alfre d w rites the Profe sso r a g a in and e xpla ins ho w suc c essful follow ing Da b a sir's p lan had be en for he and his wife. There "is mo re p lea sure in running up suc h a surplus than there c ould be in spe nding it."


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Cha p ter 10: The Luc kie st Ma n In Ba b ylo n Sha rru Nad a , the M erch a nt Prince of Ba b ylon loo ked the p a rt with fine robe s, horse a nd c a ra van , a ma n with all the a c c outreme nts. He w a s inwa rd ly troub led , not for himself but for the youth he wa s traveling with.

Characters: Sha rru Nad a - Mercha nt Princ e o f Babylon Had an Gula - grand son o f Arad Gula Arad Gula - Sha rra 's p a rtne r Nan a -naid - Sha rra' s Ma ste r Swa sti - Nan a 's ho usekee p er Sa si - Sla ve Trad e r

He w a s tra veling with Ha d a n Gula, the g ra ndson o f Sha rru's p a rtner of other yea rs of w hom he o we d a d eb t of g ra titud e w hic h c ould neve r b e repa id . Sha rru wa nted to d o som ething for the grand son b ut it wo uld p rove diffic ult b ec a use o f the youth himself. Sha rru wa s hop ing he m a y be a b le to give the youth a sta rt for himself and ge t a wa y from the w rec k the youth's fathe r ha d ma d e o f the inheritance. Ha d a n sp en t shekels a s fa st a s the y c a me to him. He wo re t he finest rob es a nd ra rest jew els. Arriving a t Ba b ylon a nd ove rloo king the c ity, Ha d a n c om me nts tha t ne ither he or his fathe r had the gift for attra c ting shekels tha t his grand fathe r ha d ha d . Sha rru in true Ba b ylon ian style o ffered to t ell Ha d a n how he a nd his g ra nd fa the r joined in a pa rtnership tha t p rove d very profita ble. Sha rru e xp lained tha t he wa s on c e a slave , the vic tim o f m y b rot her's indisc retion s - he killed his friend in a b ra wl. Sha rru wa s b ond ed to t he w ido w a nd sold a s a slave w hen h is fa the r c ould not find the silver to free Sha rru. Sha rru soo n fo und the va lue in wo rk from a wise slave . "work is the b est friend I've eve r known. It ha s b roug ht m e a ll the g oo d things I've ha d , my fa rm a nd c ow s a nd c rop s, everything." "Rem em be r, work, well done , d oes go od to the m an who do es it. It ma kes him a be tter ma n." Sha rru w a s sold to a not her ma ste r, a b a ker na me d Nana -naid. Sha rru tho ug ht himself the luckiest ma n in Bab ylon to b e p ic ked t o lea rn a tra d e he wa s interested in. At this p oint, you shou ld know tha t sla ves in those tim es c ould wo rk for rew a rd , ow n things a nd eve n ta ke a w ife. Sha rru sta rte d to m a ke a d d itiona l loa ves to sell in the street a nd ne g ot iat ed w ith his m a ste r to sha re the sp oils. On e o f his reg ular c usto m e rs w a s Arad Gula (Ha d a n's grand fathe r). Sha rru a nd Ara d b ec a me c lose friend s. Na na-na id be c a me mo re a nd mo re a nxious up on Sharru's return to c ollec t the p iec es of g old to sp end a t the g a mb ling ho uses. One d a y Ara d Gula c onfided in Sharru tha t he w a s a lso a sla ve a nd c lose to b uying his wa y to freed om . At this p oint the g ra nd son w a s highly offend ed a t Sha rru, sa ying , "I will not liste n to lies d efa ming my g ra nd fa the r." Arad a d vised Sha rru a s follow s;


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"Cling no long er to thy ma ster. Get o nc e a ga in the fee ling o f be ing a free ma n. Ac t like a free m an and succ eed like one!" The ne xt time Sha rru m et Ara d , he w a s a c hang ed ma n for he w a s a free ma n. Swa sti, Sha rru 's m a ste r's ho useke ep er c a m e to Sha rru m o st d isturb ed . "Thy m a ste r is in troub le" . "Why sho uld w e w o rry o ve r his fo lly. We a re no t his kee p e rs." Sha rru's m a ste r had g iven his title to a lend er and the lend er co uld c la im him a nd sell him w ithout Na n-na id's influen c e. The n ext mo rning, the m one y lend er broug ht Sa si, the slave trad er to ta ke Sha rru a wa y. Sha rru w a s d ee p ly de p ressed . "Was I to wo rk for the rest o f m y life w ithout g a ining my d esires, without ha p p iness and success?" A m esseng er had c om e from Sha rru's new ma ste r, Sa si. He g ra b b ed his w a llet a nd rob e and wa s on his wa y. "I sa w A ra d Gula a wa iting me ." "I hunted e verywhere for thee." "A ha rd ba rga in he d id drive a nd m ad e m e p ay a n out ra g eo us p rice , b ut tho u a rt wo rth it. Thy philosop hy and ent erprise ha ve b ee n m y insp ira tion t o t his ne w suc c ess." Ara d ha d bo ught Sha rru 's free d om . "Tea rs o f g ra titud e filled m y eye s. I knew I w a s the luc kiest m a n in Ba b ylon." "Was w ork my g ra nd fa the r's sec ret key the g old en shekels?" "It w a s his on ly key w he n I first kne w him." "Work at trac te d his m a ny frien d s ... wo rk b roug ht him the m a ny hono rs ... wo rk broug ht him a ll tho se t hings I ha ve approved." "Life is rich w ith ma ny p lea sures for me n to enjoy," Sha rru Na d a c om m ent ed . "Ea c h ha s its p la c e. I am g lad tha t w ork is not reserved for slave s. Were t ha t the c a se I would b e d ep rived of m y grea test p lea sure." Sha rru's story had , ind ee d , cha nge d Ha d a n Gula's outlook a nd , now tha t he unde rstoo d , he resolved to m a ke cha nge s. "Now tha t I und ersta nd , I d o a d mire him all the m ore and feel more de termined to b e like him. I fea r I c a n ne ver rep a y thee for giving me the true ke y to his suc c ess."


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The Richest Man in Babylon

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