That just shows how ignorant you are about literary studies. We can and do find out what the original contexts and intentions of the authors are. Not always, but we can make educated guesses.
Currently, there is a small group of scholars who claim that the Greek NT was actually derived from Aramaic Pe****ta sources, and not the other way around, as is claimed by the status quo. Much of the evidence for this comes from the fact that many of the Greek passages either make no sense or appear lifeless after translation. Aramaic was not only a very colorful language, but was filled with double meanings for the same word or phrase, which the Greek translators had no clue of. So they unwittingly translated literally, passing on many incorrect meanings. This is only part of the problem in interpreting the ancient texts.
That's better than godnotgod's assertion that the passages produce superstitious fear.
Here we are speaking English to one another, and already we have a misinterpretation: I never said that the passages
produce superstitious fear. I said that superstition and fear are
reflected in the passages I cited. However, since you mention it, they actually DO produce fear (and therefore, a kind of 'respect'). That is their intention, in some cases. Take, for example, Revelation 12:3
"Dragon with seven heads and ten horns with crowns=The final powers controlling the world"
We now know, of course, that dragons do not exist. But the people of biblical times thought they were real. The imagery as described is a terrifying one. In fact, the dragon was thought to be one form of the devil.
He sees it that way because that's what he expects of the ancient culture that produced them.
Not at all. What I see is fear, superstition, and ignorance reflected in the imagery that was used to depict certain conditions. It was thought that those conditions were brought about by gods and demons; or that a supreme God was punishing man for his wicked ways. In many cases, fearful people sacrificed animals or performed some ritual to appease such gods or God, or to ward off evil spirits. At one point in Judaic history, Jews even sacrificed their infants to the pagan god Moloch.
He may be surprised to find out that these ancient cultures are far more sophisticated and realistic than he is or you are. But to see that would require doing some real learning. Otherwise, his (and your) "points" are all just bluster and nonsense.
I find it difficult to see these ancient cultures which practiced human sacrifice, for one thing, as sophisticated and realistic. In fact, I find it impossible to see modern Christianity as sophisticated and realistic, since it continues to utilize and honor the same symbolism in its rituals and belief system (the symbolic eating and drinking of Jesus's flesh and blood, for example).
On top of these rituals and beliefs, we have piled on apocalyptic prophecies of a highly sensational (and terrifying) nature. What then follows is a resolution via of an intervening Godhead, who, via of supreme control and force, creates a cosmos that is, basically, a perfectly obedient machine that has no freedom of thought or will of its own. Christianity is, then, a religion of extremes: extreme evil subdued and contained finally by extreme goodness.
Don't be so asinine. No, I'm not a trained historian, but I can read. I can read what trained historians say. I can also read what linguists and biblical studies people say. And I have a brain and can sift wheat from chaff. That's called critical reflection, and it's entirely absent from godnotgod's procedure, as it is from yours. You both simply reject what you don't understand and accuse those who do understand of playing about with superstitious mumbo jumbo.
The bottom line is that the Bible should be plainly understood by the average person. In fact, as I understand it, Yeshua spoke to largely illiterate audiences, the common man. The rest layered over his words by others is indeed a lot of mumbo jumbo, and I doubt if Yeshua would approve any of it. In fact, he was the main critic of the mumbo jumbo of the time.
Yeshua knew that people had it backwards, that they were relying on their intellectual deciphering of the scriptures to gain Paradise. He was trying to tell them that they needed to get Paradise FIRST, and THEN the scriptures, which are accounts ABOUT the spiritual experience, would make themselves clear, simply because the ordinary thinking mind cannot fathom the mind of the Infinite. It is the Infinite which must transform the mind first so that it can then see correctly. It must be raised to the level of the Infinite so that man can then "see as God sees".
We call this transformation of mind, "Enlightenment".
You don't get to the threshold of Enlightenment via of scholarly, intellectual endeavors, but via of the intuitive mind.
...but of course, everyone in those tombs are just playing dead, just taking a little nap, eh? 
