Some stories in the bible are just, to me, obvious fiction. Amongst the most obviously (in my opinion) clearly not literally true are many in the Old Testament such as the creation story, Adam and Eve, the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorah, Tower of Babel, Job, Jonah and the fish...... I could go on but you understand my point. If all those tales are just legendary, then the rest of the bible must be on the same basis. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some very relevant or important principles in the bible, but as i say, I do not see how it could possibly be divinely inspired or the “word of god”.
There are a large number of historical inaccuracies in the bible as well, for example there is no historical evidence that the Jews were ever enslaved in Egypt.
The New Testament has the fundamental problem of being written decades after the events it’s supoosed to have witnessed, and is written to justify the story it is telling. For example, the story of Jesus resurrection grows more spectacular in the later books, and for me is simply beyond rational belief.
I do however respect the bible as a very influential book, arguably the most influential book ever written, but that doesn’t make it anything more than just a book.
Too many things to respond to in one post. One interesting thing they did find in Egypt though. It was not really a thing, but rather a behavior. Apparently, when they did not like someone, they would erase them out of the records. Like they literally "sand blasted" a monotheistic king from the records, off for the stones.
In regard to creation, if you read it carefully it is not so different than the evolution theory as far as sequencing goes. plants, then sea creatures, then birds, then beasts, then man. I personally think every thing evolved (how quickly i do not know) except for man. Is it so hard to believe a God could make a man out of dirt when we can make a robot out of metal, plastic, and silicon?
Sodom and Gomorah. Could we not level a city with a bomb?
Tower of Babel, they are currently working on ways to read minds with tech. Would it be so hard to mix up languages?
Job, well that one I thought was an allegory, but I leave it alone.
Jonah: We have submarines now that can stay under water for at least 6 months.
What's my point? Basically, the more we advance, the less impossible the miraculous should be to us, but it seems to have the opposite affect.
I'm not sure what you mean by more miraculous in relation to Jesus. However, what you consider irrational to accept, could be said of any number things that now exist but did not before. If you told someone from 200 years ago you could hold the name of every person on the planet in a box that fits in one hand, they would think you were ridiculous.
Someone today might think it is ridiculous that God could give dreams, or give messages to people, but today they are already working on transmitting messages back and forth between people using brain waves.
A famous quote: "A day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day to God." Did you know they are working on tech that can speed up the brain and make an 8 hour period seem like 1000 years to the person experiencing it? Not perfected yet, but wow!
So as the world shares information with itself, much like Babel, we are pioneering quickly into an age where nothing seems impossible.
"And the LORD said, Behold, the people
is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."
Sorry, got long winded. Just amazing times that we live in. XD