"they are copies of copies of copies, with a good deal of translation to throw into the mix."

I have to agree, and to think some of these scribed antiquity narratives have been eye-witnessed, well even in modern times police interviews regarding socalled critical events can have as many reportages as there are witnesses, all slightly different. Yeah, even scholars do not always agree on facts of the past.

No, in the fullness of time after more real archeological study is performed, more of antiquties story lines may come into a dramaticly alternative focus.

That is we just do not know as much as we think we do.