To obtain a religiously accepted separation in Judaism, women require a bill of divorce known as a gett. But they can only be granted by a husband to his wife — and Meyer's husband refused.

Meanwhile, ancient Egyptian royals sometimes married their siblings — a practice that may have reflected religious beliefs — and pharaohs sometimes married their own daughters.

For the first time, the largest branch in American Judaism has agreed to ordain rabbis who are in interfaith marriages. DAVID FOLKENFLIK, HOST: ...