I would like to make the case that there is a very different way of understanding the Bible then the one you indicate here. First, it is my understanding, within the Jewish tradition, that the scriptures were never meant to be taken only literally. It was understood that the written scripture...
When it is said in the Torah "Let there be light" my understanding is that light=consciousness. I understand the entire Tanakh (what Christians call the Old Testament)as being a map for the journey from limited ego encapsulated consciousness to the pure light of infinite God (Messiah)...
Instead of punishment this can be viewed as the natural consequence of their own behavior of giving in to the temptation (ego) to seperate from God. This represents a move from Unity (the Garden of Eden) to duality where existence becomes problematic and suffering and mortality begin.