One popular theory among biblical experts is that the Israelites who came out of Egypt merged with a group of Canaanite exiles. This theory is supported by the fact that the early Israelites debated about which God to follow as well as the advanced farming techniques for newly freed desert people. Now, those Canaanite exiles worshiped the chief god in their pantheon, El. In the Hebrew religious tradition, the suffix -el means of God. Isra-El, Micha-El, Gabri-El, Rapha-El.
Now is El the same God as the God of Israel? The Jewish conception of God evolved over time. The early Israelites believed that multiple gods existed, even though they chose to worship only one God (the God). It wasn’t until the exile that the Jews became fully monotheistic, rejecting other gods as not only lesser, but false. It is also worth noting that El’s wife Asherah was conceived of as the wife of the God of Israel for a time, until Asherah’s idols were forbidden from the Temple. It was rare for men in the ancient times to not marry (see Jeremiah). Male gods certainly had wives. So, it would not be unusual for some Jews to have believed that their God had a wife too. Of course as Israel began to conceive of God not as a God but the God, these cultural additions ceased out of favor.
So, did the early Israelites view El as the God of Israel? The God of Israel was not conceived of El in the exact same manner, but we see the Canaanite influence on Israelite conceptions of God. It would be likely that the Canaanite exiles conceived of El as the same God as the Israelites. Additionally, the ancient Israelites would probably alter stories about El and mold them to fit with their conception of the world. However, we see the God of Israel do so much more than El. We also see God tell the Israelites not to worship Him in the same manner that other gods, including El, were worshiped. The Jewish conception of God changed and grew over time as Scripture was revealed. I think this growth reflects God’s patience and love for humanity as our limited minds try to grow closer to the Ineffable Creator.