Clivedurdle

(From jesusneverexisted.com)

In GRD there was a thread about the koran, which linked to a commentary that legends generally start vague and get improved with time, details are added to make it look and feel real by expert storytellers.

Do we have evidence of a similar process here?

Barnabas had very woolly concepts that were responded to by a LATER John to try and apologise for and explain a belief doing the rounds.

Has anyone systematically tried dating texts by comparing with similar vague ones and asking, was that a deliberate expansion or commentary on the earlier one?