I'm impressed with your ability to find so many thought points on the story of Adam and Eve.

I've not a single time in my life considered the adult depictions of the man and woman. I'll touch on my thought there as a I work my way through.

If a father says to his eleven-year-old: "Don't go on the ice, it might break in", he doesn't know for sure whether his son will leave it alone or do it anyway, unless he has him under complete control. Which he doesn't have. Some morning or afternoon, the son goes outside to play with others and will do something forbidden. And experiencing the consequence of what one disregards; an important part of growing up.

The metaphorical implication of this thought is perfectly in line with the story. Father molds the world view but doesn't possess the control over the free will of his creation.

It certainly gives some credence to the story in my mind, but not entirely in the context of what might be the general perceived.

What I mean by that is the metaphorical is always how I have viewed many writings, despite many/most interpreting as a literal con-text ;D

Innocence does not protect anyone from consequences, not even children.

Quite the opposite right. A common theme is "protect the innocence", but this could also be interpreted as "protect the ignorance".

So, I am still puzzled. There must be a reason why Adam and Eve had not been depicted by the artists as children but as mature adults, clearly distinct by their sex. Any thoughts on that?

Hmmm... Well, an ignorant fool can can become an enlightened seeker if the fool chooses to take the path of no longer being a fool.

The depiction might be adults because they've reached the maturity to seek answers, regardless of the world view they've been given. The free will of thought takes on a life of its own and the seeker seeks. Where the divide comes between consciousness of man and animal is a fickle subject. It's difficult for us to perceive what animals perceive and ego says we know that they are lesser in perceptive conscious abilities.

I think the animal kingdom represents a template for us to see without a veil of deception.

I like to think of myself as a lion in his den, patient and observant, watching the hyenas as they watch me. In numbers they are strong but still do not come close to matching the lion.

The lion and hyena are mortal enemies. The lion will rip the hyena to shreds and not consume its flesh.

This is something I often think about.

I'd love to read your thoughts on this.