I still don't understand why anyone would make up a person like the Biblical Christ..

[Minimalist]

Also the only records we have of the original twelve indicate that they were itinerant teachers who were ultimately executed (except for John,

Um, excuse me Coffee but what "records" are those? What we have are stories with as much historical basis as the jesus myth in the first place.

http://www.humanreligions.info/twelve.html

Although many ancient religions such as the Gnostics understood things like the twelve disciples of Mithras to be symbolic of the stages of the waning and waxing sun throughout the year, later religions took it literally and believed in an actual 12 disciples - and some still do.