Were Adam and Eve historical people?

What makes modern people so sure that we can't express inspired truth by using metaphorical figures of speech? Some things are too difficult to express clearly and succinctly in common declarative language even today. Moreover, we must remember that those ancient peoples had barely begun to develop their historical sense, and had very few records that kept their memories from the previous centuries. Indeed, most of their "history" was legendary and carried in folk stories and ballads. Just look at how their writing systems were still developing. Moses had a very archaic "alephbet," without vowels, to write with. 

When we need a common story for our people to stick together and base our common identity on, the story has to be simple enough for ordinary folk to remember. Strict adherence to facts (especially facts not yet discovered) needs to take a back seat to expressing Truth clearly. Thus, Adam & Eve don't have to be singular historical original people. They are representative figures who exemplify all of our human forebears. God created all of our ancestral progenitors and designed every advance toward modern humans to reflect his image and likeness. The world is fallen as of the moment we began to try to discern what is good from what is evil. We need instead to seek God's advice, not our own opinion. 

The antediluvian stories with their thousand year lifespans are also metaphorical. They are true myths about early culture heroes, some pleasing to God, some less so. The story then devolves into corruption by the idea of improved men, ubermensch or giants above the rest, who worship their own talents and inclinations. Again, the situation soon gets worse with the abuse of technology and idolatry leading people into corruption. God is offended by those who choose corruption, evil, and death. He doesn't want the rich and politically savvy to rule as oppressors and make helpless slaves of the poor. Nor does He want them to teach us to worship materialism, or sensual lusts, or to have selfish disregard for those weaker than ourselves. His plans for civilization are significantly different from ours. Thus, He comes down from Heaven to take a personal interest in us, and He participates in history to lead us to salvation. 

Our endless problem of conflict, rebellion and disobedient selfishness is the same problem of sin that God has always been working on. Yet, He chooses to have intimate personal relationships with us because of his mercy, even to the extent that He is willing to save some of us into Heaven. Perhaps He feels those few are now that close to what He is trying to achieve. Our lives are no longer so "nasty, dirty, brutish and short" as they were at our nadir away from Him. Because Jesus came down to be an example and sacrifice for us, we have been redeemed from our slavery to sin, to overcome selfish evil inclinations with divine spirituality. That is our personal salvation, to be recreated into the final form He desires. For that, we need to have faith, to love Him and trust that He desires our good. 

The Bible and Gospels are true. When Moses uses metaphor, he is recalling the stories of the cultures around him in his milieu, and following God's inspiration to tell them in correct form so that we may understand their real meanings. The stories give us a background and orientation so that we can choose a proper perspective and framework for faith. Before Abram, history is given in a more general sense. That is all we need. After God chooses Abraham, to claim a people for his own, history gets more specific. The later the stories are, the more historical facts are retained. This culminates in the completely factual historical bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God Himself. In Jesus, God is stepping directly into society to speak his own words to our ears and choose his people from those who respond in faith.

Do not be surprised if all the prophecies in the Bible come true. What God really wants is a people who trust Him and share his moral sensibilities and are willing to follow his plans. We don't have to understand the prophecies clearly to see the plan unfolding around us. We only need to follow, and learn all we can about loving each other and how the Kingdom is supposed to work. 

In the meantime, let us pray as He taught us:

Dear Holy Father, living in Heaven, 

we respect and reverence your Name. 

We anticipate your Kingdom's arrival, and seek to do your will here on Earth, just as it is done in Heaven. 

Give us each day the sustenance we need to live and follow you, and forgive our failures and trespasses as we forgive those who fail and hurt us. 

Lead us surely to avoid temptations, and rescue us from all entrapment and corruption. 

We declare that the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory is yours, Father, now and forever. Amen