In about 5 hours from this post, Ajahn Punnadhammo will be doing a livestream Dhamma Talk about the Historical Context of the Buddha. This might flesh in some details that have relevance in this thread. I really like Ajahn Punnadhammo’s willingness to read from relevant sources outside the Pali Canon to find more context and background to the teachings of the Buddha.
BTW: I’ve noticed that @sujato does this as well in his Dhamma Talks. Thank you for doing that, Venerable Sir, it’s highly informative!