Debt collection has been around as long as there has been debt and is older than the history of money itself, as it existed within earlier systems based on bartering. Debt collection goes back to the ancient civilizations, starting in Sumer in 3000 BC. In these civilizations if a debt was owed that could not be paid back, the debtor and the debtor's spouse, children or servants were forced into "debt slavery" until the creditor recouped losses via their physical labor. Under Babylonian Law, strict guidelines governed the repayment of debts, including several basic debtor protections. In some societies debts would be carried over into subsequent generations and debt slavery would continue, but some early societies provided for periodic debt forgiveness such as a jubilees or would set a time limit on a debt.[3] The Bible issues stern restrictions regarding how much interest to charge on a loan.