> What stopped the “winners of history”
this is indeed what separates TaNach from the “historical” records that we find from the ancient kings who usually left records of only their victories. Nowadays, you can easily go back to sources of 100+ years old. Not just books and papers, but military records, marriage certificates, census records filled out and signed 100+ years ago are available. So many of “babe maisos” can be literally checked out by looking at grandma’s handwriting…