"Has it ever been the case that readers of the Bible took these passages literally?"
They have, and people have misquoted the Bible for eons. An example of which was provided by PatrickHenry and even yourself in an earlier discussion (which you have still not responded to I might add)
I do not mean that in a condiscending tone to either of you, but if you're going to quote something like the Bible, take it for ALL it's possible translations, then work from there. Don't just start at the one that doesn't make sense to you.
I did look at more than half a dozen translations, and saw nothing that would change my understanding of what was meant. This is in reference to all my posts today.
It's quite clear that the Bible says the sun moves -- not just that it rises and sets, but that it moves. it also says the earth does not move.
It's quite clear (to me) that these are not scientific statements about cosmology, but it's also clear from history that church leaders have, at times, taken these statements literally and murdered people who said otherwise.
But I ask again, why do we not take these statements literally today? Is it because we are more careful readers of the bible, or is it because we have evidence that contradicts the literal meaning? If you think the evidence is in the Bible itself, please name the Biblical scholar who deduced the astronomical facts from the text of the Bible.