Marty ...I am no biblical scholar by any means but my limited viewpoint is you have to seperate the Old and New Testaments

I also think you have to read them from the viewpoint of smart but unsophisticated, superstitious observers (as we all are observers and participants in life) who wrote down what they believed of their history.

I expect if you speak to an Old Testament scholar, they can point you in the direction of archealogical proof that does exist...not writings, but ruins....but do not discount the writings

The New Testament on the other hand is IMO more of an issue. Not so much what was written by Paul and in other books...but in the 4 Gospels. All were written well after the death of Jesus, and I have to think that His miracles for example would have made it into secular history.

It was also "standardized" over time...which as some have pointed out, was actually a political move. Will Durant in his History of Civilization points to this as an important consideration....every citizen of The Empire was to learn the same things and read the same holy books. It was a way to unite everyone....which was very necessary for a new emperor who just reunited Rome and Byzantium AND was the offical leader of Orthodox Christianity .....having inherited all the empirical power which included being head of the church.

But having said that, it is a powerful book that has nurtured and inspired Christians since they were published. More telling..."the priestly class" ...the "human element" was like the priestly class in the time of Jesus far too often. Their wordly concernss and desires eventually spawned The Reformation which split Christianity. As a side note, Martin Luther succeeeded and was sheltered by local rulers and supported by them in part because it would stem the tide of gold and silver and all kinds of precious items sent to Rome every year....

We also know Henry VIII assumed titlar head of the Church of England because Rome would not play ball when he wanted a new wife who might give him the successor he needed.

Just showing examples of where secular life and needs heavily influenced the direction of faith, religion etc and this has been handed down to us to sift through

If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop