Jacob's Ladder refers to a ladder to heaven described in the Book of Genesis which the biblical patriarch Jacob envisioned during his flight from his brother Esau, the place between heaven and earth. The Bible depicts Esau as a hunter who prefers the outdoor life, qualities that distinguished him from his brother. Is the island symbolic of Jacob's ladder? Could Ben have a twin brother or be two different personalities?
Judging from the flashbacks in this past EP, I wouldn't count on the twin. They never showed a brother during the birth scene or any other scenes where Ben was growing up. It'd be a little far fetched for them to come back and say "Oh yeah, Ben has a twin brother we conviently cut out of everything. But Ben's father's name is Roger, the same guy Hurley found in the van a while back. I guess Jacob could be like a "second father" or "spiritual father" to Ben. For more biblical references to Jacob see: http://www.lostpedia.com/wiki/Jacob
I have read some discussions about how Locke was shot where his missing kidney used to be. He might pull through...
We don't know who actually impregnated Benjamin's mother, Roger hated Ben and maybe it's because he was not his biological father. Could Jacob be? Research the Tribe of Benjamin in the Bible, there are some interesting parallels. I'm so confused.
Are you sure? Ben could see him, supposedly. He knew he was in the chair. Maybe Jacob can talk directly to whoever he wants without anybody else hearing. Before Jacob spoke to Locke, it appeared that Ben was talking with Jacob and Locke couldn't hear (or see) him. Maybe Jacob's telepathic.
I am operating under the assumption that Ben was 'putting on a show' as Locke thought. That Jacob's existence was understood, but that Ben's ability to communicate with him or it was overstated. Ben seems almost incapable of being directly open and honest.
We also could hear Jacob say, "Help Me" and Ben couldn't hear that. I think Ben knows that some people can sometimes see Jacob, and that is why he was interested in Locke in the first place (because Locke exhibited other signs of 'connection' to the island). He viewed Locke as a potential bridge to Jacob.
A LOT of interesting stuff. Pardon my lateness, I just finally saw the last episode. Some things I noticed/theorized on based on what I saw (warning -- LONG): Spoiler Jacob told Locke to help him. As powerful as Jacob seems to be, why would he need help? Well, Ben seems to be enjoying his status as leader and as the only guy that interacts with Jacob. My guess, Ben has somehow enslaved, or trapped, Jacob in that little house, and still uses Jacob as the driving force behind his decisions that he makes. Jacob is NOT endorsing what Ben is doing, but he can't do anything about it. Locke has enough synergy (or whatever) with the island that Jacob could speak to him, and apparently he gave Jacob enough reason to believe he could break the spell Ben has cast. What spell? Well, I'm guessing the circle of odd colored sand/dirt/ashes that Locke and Ben stepped over to get to Jacob is a BIG part. As soon as Locke took notice, Ben got in a BIG hurry. That stuff is keep Jacob from leaving...at least in any significant capacity. Jacob's voice in Locke's ear? Sounded a LOT like the whispers other characters have heard in the forests, didn't it? I think we know who it is that has been calling out to the Losties in the woods...and perhaps why. He needs someone to come free him. On Richard not aging at all...I think this is a reveal of one of the islands many abilities. For whatever reason, people that live on this island don't age past their adulthood. Obviously, children grow older because Ben grew up...but Richard hadn't grown much, if any, older in that time. This is the islands form of immortality...and it is also why women can't have children on the island without dying. There must be a one to one exchange. With the inhabitants not dying from old age, constant reproduction would fill the island up fast...so a fail safe was put in to prevent that from happening. Ben is working on getting around that now (his work with Juliette) because they don't want to have to bring people in from the real world in order to perform their work (which we still have very little info on). I must admit, for a while I thought Jacob was actually going to be Richard himself. But seeing these pictures of the actual Jacob...well, that kind of eliminates my theory that Jacob would have 4 toes (meaning be some odd creature that was not human). I suppose he could still have 4 toes, but otherwise he looks like a normal guy. I wonder if Smokey is Jacob's minion...and that's why the Others fear it because they can't control it since Jacob is under lock and key, so to speak (although no one but Ben would know that). My prediction is that Locke doesn't die. His back was immediately healed the minute he was on that island. I think he responds to its healing powers moreso than anyone else that has been there. So he will pull through and expose Ben for what he is doing to Jacob. Then, there will be a big power shift, and maybe a freeing of Jacob so we can find out what he is, why he is, and what he plans on doing with that island. Phew...good episode. Next week looks pretty good, but not nearly as a revealing (just going by preview). I hope they keep up this pace.
Ben's father seemed to age so I don't think it's as simple as every adult not aging. If I had to guess, I'd say it's something unique to the island natives or at least those who are really in tune with the island.
At this point, I guess the native are just the group of people with the longest tenure on the island. "Natives" was the term Dharma used for them. But judging by their racial makeup, I don't think they're indigenous to the island. I'm sure their origins will be revealed sometime in the future.
I'd guess the "Hostiles" now 'Others" were people who rebelled against the power structure of Dharma Corp. It's sort of a political constant that those who are limited by the status quo become rebellious and feel justified in their violence. Certainly the big money, big brain's of something like The Initiative would be self-righteous elitist. The hole is this theory would be Ben's father who was alienated from the get go when he was handed the designation of Work Man, yet he was not one of the Hostiles. Back a year or so ago The Others referred to taking only the 'good' people from the survivors and we saw some of the 'kidnapped' survivors thriving with The Others. Now I don't really think they are good in the sense that we think of it but more like susceptible to brainwashing..... like the people that moved to Guyana with Jim Jones. People that could be incorporated into whatever philosophy (religion?) Ben is leading. (Killing your father and having Locke kill his father is certainly a sign of messianic insanity) I like the idea of a four toed Jacob, perhaps an ancient species that was highly evolved within the unique environment of the Island. It (they) were obviously opposed to The Initiative, hence the sonar fences to protect against them. It (They) may have allied with The Hostiles but since have become dominated (enslaved) by them, hence the "Help me" to Locke. Ooh ooh , Ben is the antichrist, a false prophet; misinterpreting the true word of the higher power (Jacob? The Island?)
