Board Thread:Bible Questions/@comment-32443038-20181121083341/@comment-27358554-20190608190822

Genesis is a literal historical record. It's audience took it literally because it is literal. Genesis 4:1-2 makes it clear that Cain and Abel are direct, literal, children of Adam and Eve. It says that Adam knew his wife (that is, through sexual intercourse) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and also later gave birth to Abel. Genesis also says that Adam and Eve had many children as well. So it was these other children who would have wanted to get revenge on Cain for him killing their brother Abel. Everything in Genesis can be taken literally and it will still make sense, in fact it must be taken literally for the rest of the Bible to make any sense. Were it poetic, then yes you could be justified in thinking Genesis is symbolic. But that is not the case, it is written as a historical record. The historical records should be taken literally, while the poetic writings ought to be taken symbolically. Genesis through Esther is all historical records, while Job through the Song of Songs is all poetry. Isaiah through Malachi are all the writings of the Prophets, which contain mixtures of poetry and history, so one must understand the context (both textually and culturally) when deciding if it is figurative or literal.

Now you are right that the Bible and science come from the same source. But remember that the Bible is always correct, even when the science doesn't seem to agree with it.