As I mentioned in another posting, El was the father of the gods in
Phoenician mythology. El was referred to by several titles such as:

"the bull"
"the creator of creatures"
"the father of the gods"
"the father of humans"

El was sometimes depicted as gray headed and bearded. He was thought
to have lived on Mount Lel and been a heavy drinker. A story goes
that as a young god, El went to the sea and saw two ladies. He asked
if they wished to be his wives or his daughters. They consented to be
his wives. One is thought to be identified with the goddess Athirat.
Then the maidens gave birth, to Shachar, Shalim, and other deities.
The new family erected a sanctuary in the desert and lived there for
eight years.
El then ordered that the river god Yam Nahar be given the position as
king of the gods. As part of this arrangement, El ordered Kothar-u-
Khasis to build a throne for Yam Nahar. El gave Yam Nahar the
title "Beloved of El". But El also warned that Yam Nahar could be
destructive. After the death of Yam Nahar, Mot (the god of the
underworld) became king of the gods. Eventually Baal won out and took
the position. However, El continued to play the role of advisor.

Neal Robbins