Hebrew

Sutton recently says the word שחר is used 43 times in the Tanakh. These include 23 as a noun (dawn, tomorrow, the morning star) 6 adjectivally (black) 12 as a piʿel verb ("to seek, to desire") or qal ("to become black" or "to be intent on"). "This indicates that within the etymology of שחר in the Hebrew Bible it is primarily used as a primary noun (sometimes) descriptive of the god or goddess Shachar."^[4]

Arabic

In Arabic, the word for dawn is saḥar (سحر) and comes from the same Semitic root. This root is also visible in suhūr (سحور), the predawn meal Muslims eat during Ramadan.

Etymology

Hebrew šaḥar is a primary noun. The Akkadian šēru(m) II and Assyrian šiāru(m), meaning ‘morning,’ argue against a verbal derivation since the substantival form pirâs only generates primary nouns. Furthermore, Old South Arabian śaḥar, which means ‘dawn’ or ‘daybreak,’ does not suggest a causative form. Variations found in Qumran include Middle Hebrew šaḥar (1QH4:6: kšḥr, 'like the dawn'; 11QPsa 26:11: establishment of the dawn [kwn hiphil]; 4Q487 36,1 lšḥr, uncertain); Jewish Aramaic šaḥarā', 'morning dawn, early morning'; Moabite (feminine!) šḥrt, compare mbqʽ hšḥrt, 'from daybreak'; Ugaritic šḥr, 'dawn, daybreak', and šḥr par. qdm, 'east wind'; šḥr ʽlmt, 'from this morning to eternity'; as well as the twin gods šḥr wšlm, 'morning and evening star', and ʽm šḥr wšlm šmmh, 'to šḥr and šlm in heaven'; Arabic saḥar, 'time before daybreak, early morning, dawn'. The ancient Arabic god saḥar, 'dawn, daybreak', is depicted in reliefs with the symbol of the dragon's head. The form šaḥar also appears as a divine name in personal names, including Ugaritic ìlšḥr, 'šḥr is (my) god'; Phoenician ʽbdšḥr, šḥrbʽl'.^[5][6]

Tanakh

CAT 1.23

Also known as CTA 23, The conception and birth of Shakhar-wa-Shalim are found here. The story, or section (if more exists) fits on one tablet without being cramped.^[10]

There is a short invocation of the gods. A "Mutu-wa-Sharru" (this is quite unclear) joins. The themes of fertility, pruning, and bereavement with vineyard references. The muddledness of vitality, fecundity, and necrocity could reflect ironies, contrasts, and our poor understanding. Pardee makes room for others' suggestions of circumcision imagery.

There's another invocation. Two women, apparently human worshipers, entice El. He seduces them, after a hunting ritual in which he roasts a bird he shot out of the air. In time they give birth to Shakhar-we-Shalim, whom the goddess nurses. They have their lips at the birds of the sky and fish of the sea: it seems to mean greedy appetites.

RS 24.244 Ugaritic liturgy against venomous reptiles

Message to Shaxru-wa-Shalimu^[11]

She again calls to her mother Šapšu:

Mother Šapšu, take a message

to Shaxru-wa-Shalimu in the heavens:20

My incantation for serpent bite,

for the scaly serpent's poison:

From it, O charmer, destroy,

from it cast out the venom.

Then he binds the serpent,

feeds the scaly serpent,

draws up a chair and sits.