And lets add an additional layer of complexity to your well thought out posting Blacknad.
Literal interpretation in 2006 English based on the translation into the King James from Greek which came from 2000+ year old Hebrew which came from Aramaic which likely came from Sumerian is meaningless.
If you don't have the original text you are just guessing, or praying, that those that came before you got it right in terms of meaning.
What TB is doing is a zero-synapse literal explanation of something for which he can not verify the providence.
If the police evertreated a crime scene so sloppily no one would ever be convicted of any crime. Surely we should demand of a theological text at least the level of proof we demand of a prosecutor presenting evidence at a murder trial.
After all ... people's lives depend on the outcome.
