I think the gnostic (christian) story makes the most sense, of the bunch. So much ancient knowledge has been suppressed by the various (capital R)eligions.

While scraps of ancient wisdom remain in them, like you say, you can have many of the same flashes of insight through “fiction” tales too. I think it has to do with jung’s archetypes...

The eternal return... what is happening now has happened before, and will happen again