I must say, I love the research level of these threads, it is all quite fascinating.
My only "observation" here with some of the comments of connecting between the Jewish concepts and that of pagans, not dismissing the influence, is that it seems to be a bit "loose" in that the identities of the entities is specific. In other words, where we might say speculate about the "son of man" and "Yahweh" based upon their general relationship and interaction and compare that to similar identities in pagan cultures, the Bible is specific about precisely who they are. For instance, the Bible does describe and establish what ANGELS are, heavenly beings created in god's form as a spirit, individuals who are free moral agents, some of whom rebel against god. They are called God's sons.
Same with Michael, the archangel who later became Jesus. This is a very well established doctrine among witnesses who recognize the archangel Michael as Jesus Christ, himself.
So drawing comparisons is fine, I do a lot of speculating like that myself on occasion, but you can't just ignore a direct statement and THEN claim a similarity. You can't say: "Oh I recognized this beloved son as the same God as Yahweh, they are really the same god" as in pagan culture when the Jews specifically define him otherwise. Even if the Jews got their original concepts elsewhere and adapted their own version, you can't just ignore specifics and then make a contradictory assessment.
In the meantime, as found in the book by Alexander Hyslop, "The Two Babylons" which I think is available on the net, not sure...(I know some chapters are quoted by some Christian links), much of what is stated in the Bible is linked to real events that later became myths. I don't think it's hard, for instance, to note that the Greek mythology of gods coming down to the earth and marrying women who then give birth to half-god/half-man superheros like Hercules is not often related to the story in Genesis of the angels of God who rebelled and came down to earth and married women who then gave birth to the "nephillim" who were apparently men of great physical prowess, etc.
Other myths are similarly connected with Eden, for instance, the imagery of the contellation of VIRGO. The very Virgo we still use today. Did you ever wonder why she is holding a "branch"? As Hyslop explains, the branch represents her lineage, her offspring. That's the significance of the branch. This became specific as Athena holding an ear of corn as well, which represented the same thing, her "seed". Thus the concept of this "virgin" with a seed from ancient Sumer, which is the people who created the zodiac originally which was then passed onto the Greeks and then to us, was of this virgin "woman and her seed", a reference to the original "woman" in the Garden of Eden who was called a "woman". Thus the "woman and her seed" is a reference to Satan, not generally considered a woman, but he/she is here.
Of interesting note in this regard, the JEWISH concept of Eden in their pagan references is the goddess LILITH who is a woman with a snakes body who is in the tree of knowledge giving the fruit to Eve. So the concept that the Devil was a woman is a concept the Jews have always understood. The "woman and her seed" Satan and his angels, fights against Michael and his seed in the final battle in heaven.
So again, you have the basic themes given by Noah about what happened early on being told and expanded on in all these various cultures, sometimes with a spliter of basic truth in them.
If you want more information on this, again, I suggest you read (not necessarily accept it all) Alexander Hyslop's "The Two Babylons" a book approved of by the witness organization since they usesd to distrubte it. It develops the idea/theory that many actual events when told, became folklore and myth, the chief of which was the assasination of Nimrod, a black man, who became the "dying king" myth in later cultures, particularly associated with Osirus who became a counterpart to Nimrod. Some people don't agree with his views, but he's a good study and provides a lot of rare research.
Another book you might consider is Zechariah Sitchin and some of his theories; again, a lot of speculation, but a lot of rare research you won't find any place else. "The 12th Planet" was one of his books. That's where I got the woodcut of the original VIRGO, the woman holding the branch, a concept of the "woman and her seed" that was understood concisely way back in ancient Sumer; of course, that was closer to Noah, right? Interesting the Jews understand Satan to be Lilith, a female goddess/angel which is consistent with scripture, which shows Satan was once the wife of Michael, the archangel, until she rebelled.
JC