6:16–18 A third highly esteemed religious duty among the Jewish people was fasting. In addition to the fast on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:31 is interpreted in this way), there were fasts connected with mourning (e.g., 1 Sam. 31:13), with times of distress (e.g., Ps. 35:13), with preparation for a theophany (e.g., Deut. 9:9), and with other times of special significance. Fasting was thought to strengthen prayer by demonstrating how serious was the supplicant’s approach. According to the Didache, the “hypocrites” (by the second century A.D. this derogatory t…