A raised platform farmers used to watch over land and animals. Soldiers used similar towers or platforms to watch over their cities. Watchtowers were also built in the vineyards of Palestine.
Watchmen assigned to towers oversaw vineyards, protecting them from wild animals and thieves (Isaiah 5:2; Matthew 21:33; Mark 12:1). Watchtower structures are still used in Palestine. Some of the tower buildings also serve as living quarters for the vineyard workers.
Some watchtowers, like the tower of Eder in Genesis 35:21, were built in wilderness areas. They provided a protected shelter for shepherds to watch their flocks. Some towers were fortified outposts for watchmen to guard a city by protecting trade traffic from thieves (2 Kings 18:8; 2 Chronicles 20:24; Isaiah 32:14).