I have been a good deal of reading also about the sources of the bible writing and have come to the conclusion that the bible is a collection of myth, borrowed stories, and were never meant to be taken literally as so many Christian religion do.
Frankly I feel liberated from its bondage. Has anyone seen the VHS tape put out by IRES called "The Naked Truth" it is enlightening. There are a ton of research books out there too, like "Jesus and the lost Goddess" by Freke I found interesting.
Ruth