A metaphorical person can be a real person.. or a group of real people.. On the otherhand a metaphorical personality can be more than a real person.. or all three.. A metaphor can transcend language and culture.. for just that reason.. Jesus spoke mostly in metaphorical terms.. not completely but mostly.. I know few christians that are conserned with the meaning of Jesus metaphors.. except as a kind of prose, let alone, his compounded metaphors.. which I term megaphors.. composed of microphors and macrophors..
I don't disagree that a metaphor can represent a real person, place, or thing. The problem, in this particular case, is that such a person can not be established beyond the parameters of the text of the Bible itself, and the excluded middle must apply, therefore, the text either indicates a real person, or a fictitious one.
At least, that's the way I see it....