Greco-Roman Period
The halakhah required that divorce documents be written for the specific woman and that it be certain that this was the case before the writ would be honored. Divorces had to be complete and fixed, severing all legal relationships between the parties.

1-1 One who brought a bill of divorce from beyond the sea 154 must say, “It was written
in my presence and signed [by the witnesses] in my presence.”
Rabban Gamliel says- “even if he brought it from Rekem or Heger.” 155 Rabbi Eliezer
says- “even from Kefar Luddim to Lod.” 156

But the Sages say- “Only one who brings [a divorce document] from a city beyond the
sea need say, ‘It was written in my presence and signed in my presence.’ One who brings
it from one province to another within a country beyond the sea, must say, ‘It was written
in my presence and signed in my presence.’” Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says- “even
from one jurisdiction to another jurisdiction [within a province].”

3-1 Any bill of divorce which was not written specifically for the particular woman is
not valid. How is this [that a bill of divorce could have the correct data if not written for a
particular woman]? If a man was passing through the market-place and heard the scribes
reading [a sample bill of divorce in order to instruct their students]- “So-and-so is
divorcing so-and-so of such-and-such a place” and he said, “that is my name and that is
the name of my wife,” that is not a valid document for divorcing [his wife]. Furthermore,
ifhe had had [a bill of divorce] written to divorce his wife but changed his mind, if a man
of his city found him and said, “My name is like yours and my wife’s name is like your
wife’s name,” it is not a valid document for [the second man] to divorce [his wife].
Furthermore, if he had two wives of like names and he had had [a bill of divorce] written
to divorce the elder, he may not divorce the younger one with it. Moreover, if he said to
the scribe, “Write it so that I may divorce with it whomever I wish,” it is not a valid
document for divorcing [anyone].

9-l One who divorced his wife and said to her, “You are free to marry any man but so-
and-so,” Rabbi Eliezer permits it but the Sages forbid it. What should he do? He should
take [the bill of divorce] from her and give it to her again and say, “Behold you are free
to marry any man.” However, if he had written [the exception] in the document, even if
he went back and erased it, it is not valid.

153. Trans. S. Berrin.

154. Usually understood as any city outside the Land of Israel.

155. Places on the eastern boundaries of the Land of Israel.