@HedgeMage: I once read a quote that went along the lines of "Man could not have written the Bible even if he would and he would not have written the Bible even if he could."
The first part comes from the fact that even with all the apparent inconsistencies, the Bible is still *very* internally consistent.
The second part comes from stuff like David and Bathsheba. David's (first) actions there aren't something you'd want to record for posterity if you want to cast David in a positive light...