When can a B/X Cleric Raise the Dead?

Quick question for anyone reading: when can a cleric raise someone from the dead in B/X?

At first, this seems like a simple question. Raise Dead is a 5th level Cleric spell, and Clerics gain access to 5th level spells at 7th level, so a 7th level Cleric can cast Raise Dead. However, Raise Dead reads as follows:

Raise Dead spell as it appears in Expert

The interesting part here that while a 7th level Cleric can ostensibly cast Raise Dead, we are only given rules for Clerics of 8th level or higher. We are told that an 8th level Cleric can raise a body up to four days dead, and every level after 8th adds another 4 days. But what about 7th level? They are able to prepare the spell, so why aren't we told how much time they have to use it? This seems highly open to interpretation, but I've jotted down every possible ruling I could think of, sensible or otherwise:

7th level Clerics can Raise Dead regardless of how long the body has been dead.
Probably the wildest take, but a certain reading of RAW does support this. The absence of a given time limit usually implies there is none. Having said that, I don't think any reasonable DM would rule it this way, as it makes Raise Dead more powerful at 7th level then at 14th (or even 36th). 

7th level Clerics can raise a body that has been dead for up to one day.
This is probably the ruling I would make in a pinch, but there isn't any support from RAW, and it makes the time limit progression a little clunky (one day, then four, then eight, etc). 

7th level Clerics cannot cast Raise Dead.
Harsh but fair. I think the closest we can get to RAW would be to have Raise Dead able to be prepared at 7th level, but with no legal targets until reaching 8th level. Which is goofy and unsatisfying, but it's the best RAW interpretation if we don't assume there's a typography error.

7th level Clerics can raise a body up to 4 days dead, same as 8th level.
This one sort of makes sense, but if true, why is it worded the way it is? Why only mention level 8? And if it's a typo, why not use the ruling below?

It is a typo and the spell should read, "A 7th level cleric can raise... [...] For each level above 7th [...] Thus an 11th..."
I think this is pretty likely, except it's really unclear whether or not it's really a mistake. It's probably not a true typo because they get the level wrong all three times, not just once or twice. More likely is that the Cleric spell progression got messed up at some point in development, which is famously self-evident by simply looking at them. Could it be that Clerics weren't originally meant to cast 5th level Cleric spells until level 8?

It seems likely that yes, Clerics were not meant to cast 5th level spells until they had reached 8th level. Mentzer Expert actually smooths out the Cleric spell progression, and sure enough Clerics can't cast Raise Dead -- or any other 5th level Cleric spell -- until 10th level. While I don't agree with all the changes BECMI makes, the B/X cleric spell progression looks like more of a mistake than ever in lieu of reading Raise Dead.

So how does Old-School Essentials handle this? It just doesn't:

Raise Dead spell as it appears in OSE

They change the wording a little, but the same problem exists: What happens when a 7th level Cleric prepares the 5th level spell, Raise Dead? Can they cast it? What's the time limit? Because the spell wasn't changed, this oddity remains today. It's yet another reason I have some issues with OSE -- it has no problem giving the Halfling language to halflings -- after all, that's surely errata -- but then preserves other things that are very clear typos, like the Cleric progression tables. I don't even care whether OSE reproduces everything perfectly, or whether it includes errata, but instead it does this kind of weird half measure where it provides some errata, but preserves other things that were clearly typography mistakes, like the Cleric progression.

Conclusion

I guess Labyrinth Lord was just right all along when it came to clerics? One of the things I never liked about LL was that it changed the goofy B/X spell progression of clerics, but looking back on it, if that progression was truly a mistake that went to print, it's probably best that it is treated as such and is changed. The simpler alternative would be to errata Raise Dead, and I'm curious why OSE doesn't do that if it believes the Cleric spell progression is correct and not in need of errata. So much work went into revising the spell description, and yet this uncertainty remains.

Nodes, Protocols, and Circuits

Background Information: The idea of an open-world, large scale, interconnected mega-game of D&D is becoming more prominent in the public consciousness of greater D&D and OSR communities. This video goes into more details about the subject.

Query: Could a system be designed to allow for DMs to network their game with others, with a mix of both open and closed tables, where each DM retains some control over who can and cannot play in their game?

The following is a top-down design for how I would implement it on a massive scale. Note that I don't honestly expect any of this to ever be implemented on even the most basic level. Think of this more as a thought experiment.

Goals

1. Create simple rules for transferring a character from one campaign to another.
2. Account for both open and closed tables, and how they would interact.
3. Allow for groupings of games, where all tables in a group share the same guiding principles.

Definitions

Node - An RPG campaign game that uses a short paragraph to summarize what it is and how it might differ from other nodes using the same game system.

Protocols - Rules for traveling between nodes. Handshake protocols decided on jointly by the DMs of each node.

Circuit - A circuit is a web-like grouping of nodes with agreed upon rules and regulations, connected to one another by protocols. Most have a governing body of rules that all node members agree to adhere to when joining, and these regulations can range from the extremely complicated, to absolute bare bones. Circuits can be based on game systems, genres, regional location, or even beliefs and philosophies. They can be very generic and broadly encompassing, or very specific in what is allowed.

 

Formal Rules

1. Any DM with an active campaign may create a node at any time for any reason.
• DMs may create multiple nodes, although it is highly recommended that DMs only have one active node at a time, or at the very least only one active node on a circuit.
• It is recommended that AT LEAST one full session be played before officially creating a node.
  
2. Any DM may connect their node to another node at any time for any reason, as long as the DM of that node agrees to it. The two DMs briefly collaborate on how their nodes connect (modes of travel, character conversions, and unique campaign rules). These are known as protocols.
3. Two or more DMs connected by protocols may choose to form a circuit (this is always optional).
   
• Some circuits are 'closed' -- that is, all nodes on the circuit belong to that circuit and that circuit alone.
• To join your node to the circuit, you must be invited by a DM already on the circuit.
• Other circuits are 'open' -- any node is allowed to establish protocols and connect to it freely, and they are allowed to connect to other circuits as well, thus a single node can belong to more than one circuit (there is no restriction to how many circuits a node can belong to, although circuits can regulate and restrict the connections of their member nodes in whatever way they wish).
4. Nodes can be updated at any time. It is recommended that if a node undergoes a massive update such as a complete system overhaul, any other closed nodes it is connected are contacted and all protocols are updated accordingly.
5. Protocols can be updated at any time, but each DM must agree to the protocol updates.
6. Circuit rules cannot be updated.
7. Circuits can be left at any time, and can be rejoined at any time, for any reason. Rejoining closed circuits requires an invite as if you were joining for the first time. A circuit with one or fewer active nodes is considered dissolved and disbanded.
8. Connections between nodes can be severed at any time for any reason so long as one node wishes to sever itself from the other. The protocols are instantly considered dissolved as soon as one side wishes to terminate them.
• Protocols can be reestablished at any time, but both DMs must agree to them as if creating new protocols.
9. If a node is severed from all the other nodes of a circuit, it is no longer considered a part of that circuit.
10. To join a closed node as a player, you must be approved by the DM of that node.
• Open nodes are essentially open table campaigns.
11. There is no limit to the amount of players on a circuit OR a node.
12. There is no limit to the amount of DMs on a circuit, however each node typically only has one DM. 
• It is highly recommended that different DMs create different nodes even when playing in the same 'world' or 'campaign setting'. It is harder to prune inactive nodes and sever protocols when multiple DMs share ownership of a node.
13. DMs on a circuit can join other nodes as players as per normal joining rules, but cannot enter their own node as a player.
14. Players can use protocols to travel between nodes, thus being able to play the same character across multiple campaign settings.
• Players with characters on circuits containing open tables may always choose to bring characters from that circuit to the open table game.

 

Summary

 

With this method, vast communities can be created, connecting hundreds or even thousands of campaigns. You can join communities or even subcommunities that share rules or ideologies.

The main goal is for this guideline to serve as architecture for connecting campaign worlds in a sensible manner. Each connection is basically a handshake protocol between two DMs -- they agree to allow characters to move between their worlds, and provide the necessary information for doing so. If a player wishes to play their character in a different campaign, the rules outlining how to do so are provided in the circuit regulations. The player need only an invitation, and then the node connection will list any conversion necessary.