Chapter 9, The Clay Tablets from Babylon Summary

Chapter five begins with a letter from Alfred Shrewsbury to Professor Franklin Caldwell. Shrewsbury has just finished translating a set of clay tablets sent to him by Caldwell and is sending his findings back to the professor. There are five clay tablets and they were written by Dabasir, the camel trader from the previous chapter. The tablets detail exactly how Dabasir was able to pay off his debtors and win back his wife following his escape from the Syrian chief.

The first tablet outlines Dabasir's three-fold plan for paying off his debts. Dabasir first resolves to set aside one-tenth of all his earnings for savings. Second, Dabasir states that he will use seven-tenths of his earnings to provide for himself and his wife. The final two-tenths of his earnings will be distributed equally...