much disorder, because they had not done what they had designed
to do, on account of my stratagem, which was opposite to their
undertakings.

56. Now there was one whose name was Ananias (a wicked man he
was, and very mischievous); he proposed that a general religious
fast (23) should be appointed the next day for all the people,
and gave order that at the same hour they should come to the same
place, without any weapons, to make it manifest before God, that
while they obtained his assistance, they thought all these
weapons useless. This he said, not out of piety, but that they
might catch me and my friends unarmed. Now, I was hereupon forced
to comply, lest I should appear to despise a proposal that tended
to piety. As soon, therefore, as we were gone home, Jonathan and
his colleagues wrote to John to come to them in the morning, and
desiring him to come with as many soldiers as he possibly could,
for that they should then be able easily to get me into their
hands, and to do all they desired to do. When John had received
this letter, he resolved to comply with it. As for myself, on the
next day, I ordered two of the guards of my body, whom I esteemed
the most courageous and most faithful, to hide daggers under
their garments, and to go along with me, that we might defend
ourselves, if any attack should be made upon us by our enemies. I
also myself took my breastplate, and girded on my sword, so that
it might be, as far as it was possible, concealed, and came into
the Proseucha.

57. Now Jesus, who was the ruler, commanded that they should
exclude all that came with me, for he kept the door himself, and
suffered none but his friends to go in. And while we were engaged