Asset allocation is a fancy word for diversification. “Let every man divide his money into three parts, and invest a third in land, a third in business, and a third let him keep by him in reserve.” So it is written in the Talmud, a record of debates among rabbis about Jewish law dating as early as 220 C.E. In investment circles, this quote is well known. It is an interesting reference to a properly diversified portfolio, dating back almost two millennia.