"the virgin mary" was an archetype, built on existing greek motifs; a syncretic combination of existing stories and memes, put together in a way that was appealing to a specific audience, as a work of fiction.

the idea that this was an actual person that existed in real life, at all, is absolutely ridiculous.

so, how can a work of fiction appear as an apparition in a field?

i'm waiting for the retrospective on jesus in the potato chips, a hundred years from now - based on a true story!