Less removed than we are.
Written folklore, legend and myth are most often the product of an ancient verbal narrative.
Verbal communication from generation to generation cannot be dismissed. This was the way knowledge was initially propagated by word of mouth, later by written word, now by broadcast word.
The Old Testament is the Word of God whether you like it or not. It is a history of the Chosen People in the sense that it explains the act of Creation, the Fall, the subsequent state of mankind and its tortuous journey towards redemption.
The NT reveals that redemption in all its fullness has come about. It is available to all those who accept and desire it. That is the message of the NT.