I've been reading a book- God- a human history- by Raza Aslan
Very interesting. El, was a realtively well known member of the Cannonite pantheon. YHWH was a different God worshiped apparently by Midianites. The OT and Torah weave the 2 together. Resulting in odd constructions like "The Lord thy God says...." lord is one of them, god is the other.
There are 2 creation accounts woven together, 2 flood accounts, etc- each with it's own specific, and contradictory details.
Its El who says "Let us make man in our image" because he is speaking to the other Cannanite gods- Marduk, Baal, etc.