Big subject. There's a funny bit in the recent Mel Brooks’ "History of the World" redux about the Council of Nicea and attempts by Roman mucky-mucks to make sure Jesus was white and women diminished. I took "Western Civ" class once and they talked about back-inserting of "Book of Job" (500 BC +-) into 900 BC+- Old Testament (to explain "why innocent suffer"). The whole thing a rather fluid mish-mash, repurposed to needs of Romans/Christians as you say, not really suited to being ironclad word of God. That said, generally entertaining and ethical (I choose the 10 Commandments and Jesus' additional 5, humility, faith, redemption, forgiveness, non-judgement as my pillars) My theory also, just as Shakespeare seems a genius as all the texts he "borrowed" from are now lost, so too Biblical authors Moses, 4 Apostles, Paul? Paul in particular may have taken generous "artistic license"?