Final answer:
The poetic books of the OT, per Bullock, relate to history by capturing the cultural, emotional, and existential aspects of the ancient Hebrews, despite their mythical structure. They serve as a bridge between factual history and the exploration of universal human experience, also reflecting societal values and beliefs as seen through their interactions and internal development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The way that the poetic books of the Old Testament (OT) relate to history, as conveyed by scholars such as Bullock, is twofold. Firstly, these poetic texts function as a cultural recording that transcends mere presentation of facts by encapsulating the experiences, beliefs, and emotional depths of the ancient Hebrews. Unlike strictly historical accounts, the poetic books often embrace universal themes through storytelling that may be rooted in historical events, but their purpose extends to a more philosophical and existential exploration of human experience.
The narratives found within the Hebrew Bible, like those mentioned in the given texts referencing Bullock, are based in part on mythic traditions and sometimes depict events with significant divine intervention. This mythic mode signifies that, as historical documents, these texts are not always taken at face value by modern historians. Nonetheless, they are invaluable for understanding the ideological and societal constructs of the time they were written, and they often reflect actual historical contexts.
Lastly, the poetic books contribute to the cultural history that is concerned not merely with empirical evidence or chronological accounts of events, but also with the understanding of societal values, religious beliefs, and the collective consciousness of the ancient Hebrew people, as shaped by their interactions with neighboring cultures and their own internal developments.