It is only natural that legends come to be associated with important historical figures, such as George Washington (the cherry tree incident), and Isaac Newton (the apple tree). The further back in history we go, the more fanciful the legends become, and the reality of the characters to whom the legends are attached become less certain. For example, Moses, David, and Jesus may (or may not) have been real people, but they were so highly venerated that they became the subject of extremely fanciful tales. Jesus is said to have been able to walk on water, change water into wine, and even rise from the dead. In my opinion, interpreting these stories as literal truth misses the point. For example, Jesus (whether real or not) was granted supernatural powers by storytellers as a tribute to his spiritual greatness.