Tosefta for Judges 7:19
וַיָּבֹ֣א גִ֠דְעוֹן וּמֵאָה־אִ֨ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֜וֹ בִּקְצֵ֣ה הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֗ה רֹ֚אשׁ הָאַשְׁמֹ֣רֶת הַתִּֽיכוֹנָ֔ה אַ֛ךְ הָקֵ֥ם הֵקִ֖ימוּ אֶת־הַשֹּֽׁמְרִ֑ים וַֽיִּתְקְעוּ֙ בַּשּׁ֣וֹפָר֔וֹת וְנָפ֥וֹץ הַכַּדִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּיָדָֽם׃
So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outermost part of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, when they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the horns, and broke in pieces the pitchers that were in their hands.
Tosefta Berakhot
Rebbi says, “There are four watches in a night. [There is a unit of time called] time period (Onah) which is 1/24th of an hour. And [there is another unit of time called] the time (Et) which is 1/24th of the time period (Onah). And [there is a third unit of time called] the moment (Regah) which is 1/24th of the time (Et).” Rebbi Natan says, “There are three watches in a night, as it is said ‘… the beginning of the middle watch.’ (Judges 7:19) There is no [such thing as a] middle, but only when there is something before it and after it.”
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