JBR, unless I am badly mistaken, there is only one verse, presumably by the author of Corinthians, that mentions 500 witnesses:
" 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles."
I made no claim at all that the Bible was written at one place or in one time - it is far too inconsistent for that to even be a possibility.
You made the claim that these unnamed 500 and the disciples were tortured and killed. Where is that claim documented? Certainly not by Paul - yes, he claims he persecuted some, or perhaps made a few "fall asleep." Do you really accept all that dodgy hagiography of the early Catholic Church?
Then I would ask if you use the same scrutiny on all ancient pieces of literature?
I do. I'm almost certain that Poseidon never did doo-squat to interfere with Trojans vs. Athenians.
"The Christian church, in its attitude toward science, shows the mind of a more or less enlightened man of the Thirteenth Century. It no longer believes that the earth is flat, but it is still convinced that prayer can cure after medicine fails." H L Mencken