I think that Jacob and his nemesis (I will call him Esau for now) have been known under several names throughout history. Jacob and Esau, Ra and Hades and probably many more. A story which is retold slightly differently by the people who have observed the pair, their characteristics - good versus evil, their roles - playing a complicated game of backgammon and things that have happened to them for example childbirth issues. Certain aspects of both Greek mythology and Bible stories about Jacob and Esau are similar to the story in Lost. The good versus evil theme is true of all the characters, Ra and Jacob are seen as good whereas Hades and Esau are bad. Widmore and Ben? I'm not so sure, I think they're probably both on the same side ultimately but have been manipulated and have their own agendas (more to follow).
Jacob had problems having children with his wife Rachel but not her sister in the Bibles stories. The statue of Taweret on the island is the Goddess of and protector of childbirth and in Greek mythology when she is paired with another deity, she became the demon-wife of Apep, the original god of evil and this leads me to believe that childbirth is no longer protected as we have seen on the island childbirth is not possible (when a baby is conceived on the island).
I think the reason the story seems to be retold is that the two entities known as Jacob and Esau or Ra and Hades are trapped into playing a complicated game of Backgammon which involves human players. They've played the game with different people at different times throughout Earth's history. The people in the past as well as our Losties are being used as the checkers or pawns in the game. Jacob and Esau are the names they took in the Bible stories but that is not their real names. The stories in the Bible and Greek mythology are only indications for us that this is a game that is being played over and over. The two entities known to us as Jacob and his nemesis (Esau) are manipulating the pawns by becoming them for a short while. Evidence for this is the visions that people have had. EG when Walt appears to John when he is lying in the pit with the dead bodies of the Dharma initiative. When Rousseau said he crew were acting strangely they could have been under the influence ! of Jacob or Esau. Ultimately Esau assuming the appearance of Locke. Then we have the dead people that have been seen Christian, Ben's Mum, Yemi (to name a few). Perhaps once a pawn is dead then they are free to be used by either Jacob or Esau to manipulate the other checkers. I suppose you could say that those pawns are out of the game now and have been removed from the board. I was wondering whether when Jacob touched several of our Losties, that he was actually selecting them to be his pawns in the game of backgammon but having never played the game I don't know whether one can add checkers as one goes along since he selected Hurley and Sayid after they'd already been to the island.
I am thinking that as Jacob and Esau are playing their game of backgammon they are manipulating people, these people's actions and ultimately fate in an attempt win. The roll of the dice in Backgammon provides a structure, a restriction and also provides a variance. The variance to Jacob and Esau is the actions of free will exerted by the people they are playing with. One of the rules I believe is that they have to play the hand that they are dealt with like the role of the dice. They are also not able to kill each other, as in the game of backgammon the players must try to get rid of all of their pawns to win the game. I suggest that the electromagnetism (hereby shortened to EM) enables them to assume the form of the humans/control them for a while which is the way they take a "turn".
One thing that they said to each other on the beach at the start of The Incident episode intrigued me. To quote Lostpedia.
"The [first] man claims that it "always ends the same," with destruction and corruption, when people are brought to the Island. The blond man replies that it only ends once and anything before that is just progress."
I was wondering if the progress was that the Losties/humanity in Lost have discovered or are discovering the way to manipulate fate like they do in their game. Walt seems to have the ability. Evidence of this includes his winning streak in the Backgammon board game he played with Hurley. He may have been able to manipulate the outcome of the role of the dice. Controlling the birds by making them fly into windows. Possible wishing the polar bear into existence out of his comic. His ability may be as a result of having encountered the EM at some point in the past which we have not yet seen, by being a descendent of one of the Others (perhaps his mother's origins) or just that some humans have evolved and that's what Jacob was referring too.
I'd like to consider that the progress they are referring to is more centred around the Dharma initiative though and the progression of technology and our understanding as a race. If Dharma are trying to change the Valenzetti Equation to alter the end of humanity and they are studying the EM then I would surmise that the EM is related to fate and hence why I think it part of the game. I would also suggest that Jacob is trying to tell Esau that if progress is made enough for us to be able to manipulate fate then we can make our own changes, perhaps that will release them from playing this game and allowing us free will without their influence. Perhaps where the ending of Lost is taking us - what will happen if the game ends? Why are these two trapped into replaying the game over and over? Is Esau looking for a way out by trying to kill Jacob but secretly Jacob knows that if mankind progress then they'll be freed? By changing the VE will we actually be sealing our fate and end! ing the world instead of stopping the end?
I wonder too if the story of Jacob's ladder was told in reference to the fact that Jacob calls people to the island to participate in the game but it was once explained to the people at the time that he was trying to select them for a higher purpose, a possible seat with God which was just a lie to keep the pawns in the game. This could be similar to a lie he's told the Others to keep them doing their role whatever they think they are doing on his behalf perhaps the burying rituals and the templing processes we've seen are just ruses to keep them on the island being pawns in their game.
Jacob had problems having children with his wife Rachel but not her sister in the Bibles stories. The statue of Taweret on the island is the Goddess of and protector of childbirth and in Greek mythology when she is paired with another deity, she became the demon-wife of Apep, the original god of evil and this leads me to believe that childbirth is no longer protected as we have seen on the island childbirth is not possible (when a baby is conceived on the island).
I think the reason the story seems to be retold is that the two entities known as Jacob and Esau or Ra and Hades are trapped into playing a complicated game of Backgammon which involves human players. They've played the game with different people at different times throughout Earth's history. The people in the past as well as our Losties are being used as the checkers or pawns in the game. Jacob and Esau are the names they took in the Bible stories but that is not their real names. The stories in the Bible and Greek mythology are only indications for us that this is a game that is being played over and over. The two entities known to us as Jacob and his nemesis (Esau) are manipulating the pawns by becoming them for a short while. Evidence for this is the visions that people have had. EG when Walt appears to John when he is lying in the pit with the dead bodies of the Dharma initiative. When Rousseau said he crew were acting strangely they could have been under the influence ! of Jacob or Esau. Ultimately Esau assuming the appearance of Locke. Then we have the dead people that have been seen Christian, Ben's Mum, Yemi (to name a few). Perhaps once a pawn is dead then they are free to be used by either Jacob or Esau to manipulate the other checkers. I suppose you could say that those pawns are out of the game now and have been removed from the board. I was wondering whether when Jacob touched several of our Losties, that he was actually selecting them to be his pawns in the game of backgammon but having never played the game I don't know whether one can add checkers as one goes along since he selected Hurley and Sayid after they'd already been to the island.
I am thinking that as Jacob and Esau are playing their game of backgammon they are manipulating people, these people's actions and ultimately fate in an attempt win. The roll of the dice in Backgammon provides a structure, a restriction and also provides a variance. The variance to Jacob and Esau is the actions of free will exerted by the people they are playing with. One of the rules I believe is that they have to play the hand that they are dealt with like the role of the dice. They are also not able to kill each other, as in the game of backgammon the players must try to get rid of all of their pawns to win the game. I suggest that the electromagnetism (hereby shortened to EM) enables them to assume the form of the humans/control them for a while which is the way they take a "turn".
One thing that they said to each other on the beach at the start of The Incident episode intrigued me. To quote Lostpedia.
"The [first] man claims that it "always ends the same," with destruction and corruption, when people are brought to the Island. The blond man replies that it only ends once and anything before that is just progress."
I was wondering if the progress was that the Losties/humanity in Lost have discovered or are discovering the way to manipulate fate like they do in their game. Walt seems to have the ability. Evidence of this includes his winning streak in the Backgammon board game he played with Hurley. He may have been able to manipulate the outcome of the role of the dice. Controlling the birds by making them fly into windows. Possible wishing the polar bear into existence out of his comic. His ability may be as a result of having encountered the EM at some point in the past which we have not yet seen, by being a descendent of one of the Others (perhaps his mother's origins) or just that some humans have evolved and that's what Jacob was referring too.
I'd like to consider that the progress they are referring to is more centred around the Dharma initiative though and the progression of technology and our understanding as a race. If Dharma are trying to change the Valenzetti Equation to alter the end of humanity and they are studying the EM then I would surmise that the EM is related to fate and hence why I think it part of the game. I would also suggest that Jacob is trying to tell Esau that if progress is made enough for us to be able to manipulate fate then we can make our own changes, perhaps that will release them from playing this game and allowing us free will without their influence. Perhaps where the ending of Lost is taking us - what will happen if the game ends? Why are these two trapped into replaying the game over and over? Is Esau looking for a way out by trying to kill Jacob but secretly Jacob knows that if mankind progress then they'll be freed? By changing the VE will we actually be sealing our fate and end! ing the world instead of stopping the end?
I wonder too if the story of Jacob's ladder was told in reference to the fact that Jacob calls people to the island to participate in the game but it was once explained to the people at the time that he was trying to select them for a higher purpose, a possible seat with God which was just a lie to keep the pawns in the game. This could be similar to a lie he's told the Others to keep them doing their role whatever they think they are doing on his behalf perhaps the burying rituals and the templing processes we've seen are just ruses to keep them on the island being pawns in their game.
