Schaff's Bible Dictionary
WATCH'ES OF THE NIGHT. The original division of the night was into three watches - " the beginning of the watches," from sunset to 10 o'clock, Lam 2:19; "the middle watch," from 10 to 2 o'clock, Jud 7:19; and "the morning watch," from 2 o'clock to sunrise, Ex 14:24; 1 Sam 11:11 - but after the Captivity the Jews adopted the custom of Rome and Greece, which divided the twelve hours of the night into four watches, beginning with 6 in the afternoon - "even," from 6 to 9 o'clock; "midnight," from 9 "cock-crowing," from 12 to morning, from 3 to 6; Matt 14:25; Mark 13:35; Luke 12:38.