Go Figure!
One of the more recent popular colloquialisms is- Go Figure. In other words, don't try to come up with a reason for why something happened or why someone did what they did! Along with the spoken “go figure” can often times come the scratching of one's head or raising both hands in doubt and wonder. Just when I think I know what's going on and I get fooled- go figure!
Much like with the interpretation and understanding of the Bible, one can't LITERALIZE that which is FIGURATIVE.
A figure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words in it. Figures of speech often provide emphasis, freshness of expression, or clarity. However, clarity may also suffer from their use, as any figure of speech introduces an ambiguity between literal and figurative interpretation.
Pretending or asserting that the Bible is LITERAL and an accurate HISTORICAL record is missing the boat.
The Bible was never intended to be an accurate and detailed view of history. The primary authority of the Bible is its Spiritual and religious TRUTHS that are compiled by dozens of authors over thousands of years. Nor is the primary purpose of the Bible a scientific one. Granted, the Bible has many scientific truths embedded within the books, and in light of the great lack of scientific knowledge that the writers had in their day, it's remarkable that they got that much correct.
To those that demand a LITERAL and INERRANT paradigm from the Bible, it might be good to remember what Jesus and Paul are credited with saying and writing. Jesus said don't judge by APPEARANCES and Paul wrote, many of the Biblical stories are FIGURATIVE (not literal). Galatians 4:22, 24 would be such an example.
Is the Bible INERRANT? Yes, as a “Spiritual guide”.
But to believe right from the get-go that the Garden of Eden story is literal and not an allegory full of metaphors, similes, etc., well, GO FIGURE! 
About the Author:
As a Spiritual-futurist, I have a BA degree majoring in history. One cannot know the future without knowing the past which holds clues to what is on the horizon. The world is in such a rapid expansion of knowledge that we are close to entering a tipping point that will forever change earth as we know it.
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