This petition has been the subject of some debate, as to whether it refers directly to regulations in the Septuagint version of the Torah ( Deut. 24.1 ). See for instance P. Altmann, "The Significance of the Divine Torah in Ptolemaic Egypt in Documentary and Literary Sources from the Third and Second Centuries BCE", pp.12-14 ( PDF ).
This papyrus was not included in the original collection. The translation is taken from S. Kreuzer, "Jewish Life in Egypt in the Light of the Herakleopolis Papyri" ( PDF ).
36th year, 19th Choiak. About a marriage. We have ordered to summon:
To the archons from Philotas, son of Philotas, a member of the politeuma. During this year I courted for Nikaia, the daughter of Lysimachos. Her father, whom I just named, vowed that he would give her to me, and also the dowry, with which I agreed. Because in this way there were not only promises, but also the . . . according to the law, under these promises we went apart. Yet, soon after that, Lysimachos without any justification joined Nikaia to another man, before he had received the usual letter of divorce from me. Therefore I ask, if it seems just, to write to the Jews in the village, to summon Lysimachos to come to you, so that, if it is as I write, it will by decided according to the law, to coerce him, to . . .
{Docketed:} 36th Year, 19th Choak. Philotas against Lysimachos."
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