Yes, you have to sift through it, but the point is you get more than one or two primary texts, and so with a variety of witnesses you can make a stronger case.

Yes, you have to sift through it, but the point is you get more than one or two primary texts, and so with a variety of witnesses you can make a stronger case. In the ancient world, it's not uncommon to have only a single text from a specific point of view and so there are always charges of propaganda to deal with.