Most antiquities scholars think that the New Testament gospels are "mythologized history." In other words, based on the evidence available they think that around the start of the first century a controversial Jewish rabbi named Yeshua ben Yosef gathered a following and his life and teachings provide...
Part of the prosperity gospel is just modification of the middleman racket run by priests. Instead of being the interpreter and conduit between the person and god you now pay for that service with the idea that the more you pay the better your chances of god noticing you and your desire to go to heaven. Rich people have always assumed they can just buy their way into or out of any situation, heaven and hell included.