... were issued by Mesopotamian rulers since the 3rd millennium B.C. All debts, even those based on failure to pay fees to the temple, were forgiven and cancelled. Maximum interest rates were set. The king oversaw the ritual of "breaking the tablets", (that is, the debt records), by raising a torch, symbolizing the sun-god of justice. Persons held in bondage were released to rejoin their families, other debtors were restored to their lands.