Season 3 of Lost has come to an end. There were some answers, and a lot more questions. For me, the big question is who or what is “Jacob”?

At this point, I should point out, that if you are not a fan of Lost, then the following post will almost certainly make no sense whatsoever.

Jacob is said to be the leader of the Others, and the only person Ben Linus takes orders from. The thing that really spiked my interest was the mysterious powder that seemed to surround Jacobs run down old cabin. What was the powder and what was it for? To keep something out, or to keep something in?

Just in case this isn’t making much sense, here is a recap of the events surrounding the first appearance of Jacob.

We first meet Jacob when Ben takes Locke deep into the jungle to see him. Ben is hesitant to introduce Locke to Jacob, as Jacob is not someone that you just visit, he is someone that summons you. On their journey, Locke and Ben cross what appears to be a perimeter line, made of a powdery substance.

The two men arrive at an old cabin. Once inside, all that we see is a table and an empty chair. Ben then introduces the empty chair as Jacob. At this point, Locke believes Ben to be insane. As Locke turns to leave the cabin he hears a voice, “Help me”. The voice is quite deep and obviously not Ben. Locke turns quickly, asking Ben what was said. Ben denies having heard anything. Locke then begins shining a flash light in the direction of the voice. Ben then cracks a hissy fit, something about Jacob not liking technology, and then the room goes crazy.

Things fly everywhere, like a scene from Poltergeist. Ben tries restraining Jacob, who is still quite invisible, but is thrown across the room. During the craziness, you might have noticed a glimpse of the third person in the room. I guess we can assume that this was Jacob, briefly showing himself. That’s the first, and possibly last, time we meet Jacob.

If you watched the episode, and thought that you saw a guy in the room with Ben and Locke, but weren’t sure, then you’re not alone. Lucky we have the internet then. Here’s a screen capture of the third man in the cabin. I guess we’ll assume this is Jacob.There’s a lot about Jacob that makes me curious. I have a lot of questions!

According to Ben, Jacob can cure cancer, and this seems to be the case, as Juliet’s sister was cured. If he can cure cancer, why can’t he ensure that women can safely conceive and give birth on the island? An if Jacob can cure cancer, why didn’t he cure Ben?

Why is Ben the only Other that can speak with Jacob? Ben wasn’t always on the island so who did he talk to before Ben came along? We know that Richard has been on the island for many years, seemingly without aging, can he hear Jacob? How come Locke heard Jacob say “help me” when Ben couldn’t?

Why was Jacob invisible to the viewer and Locke, when Ben could apparently see him? And why did he look a little like Kris Kristofferson when we did catch a glimpse of him?
Apparently Jacob is literally translated in Hebrew as "holds the heel," and is a play on words that means "trickster" or "deceiver." Does that mean Jacob is good or evil? And either way, does that make the Others good or evil?

Karl keeps mentioning that “God loves you as he loved Jacob”. Key word for me, “loved”, past tense. Was Jacob thrown out of heaven to be trapped on earth?

Dammit, the rabbit hole is a deep one.

Here’s my theory. Jacob is some kind of spirit, trapped and used by the Others. He is being held against his will, trapped by the powdery substance that surrounds his cabin. Some cultures used to sprinkle a powder, made of all sorts of things, including salt and sulfur, around rooms and doorways to keep evil spirits out. Perhaps this powder surrounding the cabin is keeping the evil spirit in, and the Others are using that spirit for their own gain?

What do you think? Are the Others good or bad? Is Jacob good or bad? Will we ever get answers?