Quote Originally Posted by walter View Post
On New Year day I remember that the tv would always show the movie Ben Hur.
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is an 1880 novel by American general and author Lew Wallace.

What sticks in my head is the 1959 version when Charlton Heston is going to commit suicide but first frees his slaves.
He has them all lined up and one after the other they come to him and he hands each one a scroll of paper and says "your free".

What did he hand them that can do that?
Wow, interesting question. I think it might depend on what kind of servant the man is. If indentured, then his bond. If a slave by conquest, then I don't know.