Protestantism

» Migisi - Would we believe them?

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Yes, but those people are more than their stories, and confining them within their stories limits their larger significance.
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Indeed, all of us are more than the few lines written about us in our obituaries.
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Those people were all examples of ordinary people who did extraordinary things through faith.
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I don't think these legendary OT superheroes were just 'ordinary' folk we might have coffee with at the local diner. Not at my diner, anyway. And I don't think the OT writers intended them to be.
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They were meant to be examples to other ordinary people. This was the intent of those who composed/compiled the OT.
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If we were talking about the NT, I'd agree that Jesus' champions appeared to be ordinary guys. But were they really? Jesus supposedly hand-picked each one specifically, so I ~assume~ he saw something ~extra~ordinary in them.
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The psalms are highly personal, but the narratives contained in my other examples were not. We aren't told how those people felt about much of anything.
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The narratives were written by humans, not androids. Is it possible for a human to write even a narrative without interjecting personal feeling? For instance, you and I might observe a cat eating a bird. Depending on our feelings about that event, I might write "the vicious cat sank its dagger claws into the defenseless little bird, ripped it apart, and ate it" while you might write "the desparately hungry cat caught the bird, mercifully released its spirit, and took in its nourishment'.
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The "our" in your Bible is rendered "his" in both my NEB and NAB Bible. (The NAB is a Catholic translation.)
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Yes, it depends on which Bible version one prefers to use and trusts is the most accurate - or fits most with their personal POV. Another topic for a different discussion thread?
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People are biologically male or female, but within the psyche we all contain male and female characteristics.
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I don't think the ancient writers of Gen saw the human psyche as male and female. If they did, I don't think they would've admitted it - fearing it would undermine their patriarchal society and religion.
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A male-dominated religion promulgated the *idea* that God was male, because it reinforced their position of power. In addition, they wanted to differentiate between their God and the gods of other religions (especially those with female goddesses). That doesn't mean its so.
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I agree the ancient writers had an agenda/doctrine to promulgate and protect.
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For me, knowing the names of the plants and animals where I live makes them into something much more than stage scenery. They become friends, friends I care about and want to know better.
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I bet you're good with people's names too, committing face and name to memory, right? I wish I was. Sigh.

-- posted by Migisi