- For the member of the Hanso Foundation, see Jacob Vanderfield.
Jacob, previously known only as "Him", is the apparent leader of the Others and the person from whom Ben receives his orders. According to Ben no-one else speaks to Jacob, neither does anyone else know where Jacob is. He lives in a dilapidated-looking cabin somewhere close to the mass grave in the jungle, which is surrounded by a perimeter of what appears to be some sort of dust or powder. The exact identity of Jacob is currently unknown.
According to Ben, Jacob can cure cancer as mentioned in "One of Us". It's safe to assume that Jacob is responsible for the creation of the lists, and deciding who are "good people", as Danny Pickett states Jack wasn't on Jacob's list in"I Do".
First Meeting With Jacob
Ben took Locke to see Jacob in "The Man Behind the Curtain", leading him to a dilapidated-looking cabin deep in the jungle. Ben is at first hesitant to do this, saying that Jacob is not someone one visits; one is summoned by Jacob instead. Inside the cabin they find a seemingly empty chair next to a table. Ben introduces the chair's invisible occupant as Jacob. Locke does not believe there is anyone there, even as Ben seems to have an animated conversation with Jacob. When Locke attempts to leave he hears the words "Help me." The voice is low and does not sound like Ben's. Locke turns back around and asks Ben what he said. Ben says he said nothing, Locke turns on the flashlight and starts to tell Ben what he heard. Just before Locke repeats Jacob's message items in the room seem to shake on their own, some items seemingly thrown. This keeps Locke from relaying Jacob's secret message to Ben. Ben attempts to stop Jacob, but he is forcibly thrown against a wall. In the midst of this a brief image of a man, Jacob, can be seen.
Mentions and appearances
- He was first mentioned as "Him" in by Desmond in "Man of Science, Man of Faith". Desmond points a gun on Locke and ask "Are you Him?", Locke lies and say yes.
- He was first mentioned by name by Danny Pickett in "I Do". According to Danny, Jack "wasn't even on Jacob's list."
- In "Maternity Leave", Tom said "You know what he'll do when he finds out," implying that "he" is above both Tom and Ethan Rom in the Others' hierarchy.
- Ben states in "Dave", "If I tell you about them, you don't know what he'll do!" and when threatened by Sayid, says "He'll kill me!" to which Sayid responds, "I'll kill you!". Since Ben still doesn't give an answer, it most likely means that he would rather die than disappoint "him". Ben also says that "the man with the beard" is "no one", implying that "he" is much higher in the Others' hierarchy.
- In "Two for the Road", he says that "he" is "a great man, a brilliant man, but not a forgiving man, and would kill him for failing his mission".
- He was mentioned in "Par Avion" by Mikhail Bakunin, who said, "The man who brought me here, who brought all of my people here—He is a magnificent man."
- Ben said that Jacob would heal Rachel's cancer if Juliet agreed to stay on the Island in "One of Us".
- The name Jacob is also visible in the Room 23 video watched by Karl in the episode, "Not in Portland", where a title says "God loves you as He loved Jacob". In "Stranger in a Strange Land", when Sawyer and Kate are discussing returning to Hydra Island, Karl says "He'll kill you. God loves you as he loved Jacob".
- Jacob was confirmed to be "him" In the 3/20/07 Official Lost Podcast.
- Ben takes Locke to see Jacob in "The Man Behind the Curtain". Speaking to Locke, Ben says of Jacob, "You wanted the secrets of the Island, well here they are. This is the man who can answer every single..."
Images and voice of Jacob
The screenshot of Jacob from "The Man Behind the Curtain", lightened in photoshop
A view of the eye that appears in "The Man Behind the Curtain", which may be Jacob's
Composited image of the mysterious eye onto Jacob's silhouette
- If you slow down the section, you can clearly see the image of Jacob and a mysterious eye.
- The voice is confirmed as Carlton Cuse.
Name
- Jacob is of Hebrew origin and means Holder of the heels, or supplanter. It comes from the Latin Jacobus, which was from the Greek Ιακωβος (Iakobos), which comes from the Hebrew name יַעֲקֹב (Ya'aqov).[1] The English name "James" also comes from Iakobos; thus it has the same meaning, and can be considered an alternate translation of the same name.[2]
Trivia
- Jacob in "The Man Behind the Curtain" is played by Prop Master, Rob Kyker.
- Jacob is the middle name of Jeffrey Jacob Abrams (J.J. Abrams).
- Jacob Roggeveen was a Dutch explorer who discovered Easter Island in the south Pacific.
- Jacob's supposed ability to heal cancer resembles the situation with Isaac of Uluru and Rose's cancer.
- Jacob's Hands, a book by Aldous Huxley about a man called Jacob who can heal animals and humans with his hands. NB: Aldous Huxley worked with the real Richard Alpert at Harvard University studying psychedelic drugs.
- Aldous Huxley also wrote a book called "Island", where its protagonist (Will Farnaby) shipwrecked in an Island and encountered its inhabitants. An analysis of this book can be found at [3]
Unanswered questions
| Unanswered questions |
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- For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Jacob/Theories
- How was Jacob able to cure Rachel's cancer?
- What is the meaning of "God loves you as He loved Jacob" in Room 23?
- Why was Jacob invisible?
- Why did Jacob say "Help me"?
- What is the significance (if any) of Jacob saying it to Locke?
- What is the strange ash-like substance around Jacob's cabin?
- What is the significance of the dog painting in Jacob's cabin?
- What is the significance of the jars of liquid in Jacob's cabin?
- Why does he dislike technology?
- How can Jacob move objects?
- Why are all of The Others so genuinely in awe of Jacob if they've never seen or talked to him?
- Is the "magnificent man" Mikhail speaks of Jacob?
Biblical references
- Jacob is literally translated in Hebrew as "holds the heel," and is a play on words that means "trickster" or "deceiver." His mother Rebekah named him thus because while his twin brother Esau was firstborn, Jacob came out of the womb hanging on to his heel.
- Esau was favored by their father Isaac but Jacob was favored by their mother.
- Esau was the firstborn, but Jacob conned him into selling his birthright.
- Jacob impersonated Esau in order to gain a blessing from his father Isaac meant for Esau.
- Esau was an outdoorsman/hunter while Jacob was studious, reserved, and "dwelled in tents".
- Jacob had twelve sons, one of whom was named Benjamin. Jacob was the patriarch of what became the 12 Tribes of Israel, people chosen by God to be "set apart" and special.
- Esau intermarried outside his people and founded the kingdom of Edom in what is now southwestern Israel.
Jacob's Ladder?...to the left of Ben
- Jacob envisioned a "Ladder to Heaven" (described in the Book of Genesis 28:11-19) during his flight from his brother Esau.
- According to the Jewish teachings in the Midrash, the ladder signified the exiles which the Jewish people would suffer before the coming of the Messiah. The top step on the ladder is supposedly guarded by a vision of Esau and represents Edom which God assures Jacob will be brought down at the End of Days.
- According to the Book of Malachi, God "loved Jacob but hated his brother Esau" (Malachi 1:1-3). This is the only time God specifically says he "loves" an individual in the Hebrew books.
- Jacob was later given the name "Israel," which means "Struggled with God," with an implication of prevailing.
- Jacob, in the Torah, literally fought an Angel and prevailed, thus giving him the name Israel.
- Jacob was led to believe that his favorite son Joseph was dead after Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery. After the brothers went to Egypt during a famine, Joseph set up his brother Benjamin for a crime he did not commit, then revealed his true identity to his brothers and demanded that the brothers bring Jacob to Egypt. Only then did Jacob learn that Joseph was still alive.
- Jacob became the "father of a nation" through his 12 sons--he was clearly a very fertile man. (The Others and Mittelos Bioscience seem to be doing research connected with fertility. Alvar Hanso states on www.TheHansoFoundation.org that the foundation's goal is to "bring rebirth to a dying land and a dying people")
- Jacob is an ancestor of Aaron (elder brother of Moses).
- Jacob is the first person in the Bible to refer to God as a shepherd.
- Jacob loved Rachel, daughter of Laban.
- He worked seven years to earn her hand in marriage, but Laban conned Jacob actually making him marry Rachel's sister Leah (whom he disguised) and forcing Jacob to work another seven years for the right of marrying Rachel.
- Rachel was apparently barren, but later amazingly gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin after failing to become pregnant for years. She died whilst giving birth to Benjamin
- Benjamin had 11 brothers but only one full brother, Joseph, who also was Jacob's favorite.
- In Jewish history, the tribe of Benjamin's women and children were all killed, and the remaining members of the tribe could not longer proliferate. The historical solution they came up with was to kill the men from another sub-tribe and take their women and children. Women are unable to carry to term on the island, and the Others have been taking women and children from Flight 815.
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