Jacob’s brother…Esau or should we say MIB?
This a Lost religious connection, I believe it is the reason why everyone who know the MIB as Esau knows him as that. I believe that it could be only a reference at a biblical connection for Lost, but it could also be a cannonical background for Lost’s characters, who knows:
[..]In the Hebrew Bible he is the son of Isaac and Rebecca, the grandson of Abraham and Sarah and of Bethuel, and the twin brother of Esau[…]
[…]When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, the first to come out emerged red and hairy all over, with his heel grasped by the hand of the second to come out. Onlookers named the first עשו, Esau (`Esav or `Esaw, meaning either “rough”, “sensibly felt”, “handled”, from Hebrew: עשה‎, `asah, “do” or “make”;[6] or “completely developed”, from Hebrew: עשוי‎, `assui[citation needed]). The second is named יעקב, Jacob (Ya`aqob or Ya`aqov, meaning “heel-catcher”, “supplanter”, “leg-puller”, “he who follows upon the heels of one”, from Hebrew: עקב‎, `aqab or `aqav, “seize by the heel”, “circumvent”, “restrain”, a wordplay upon Hebrew: עקבה‎, `iqqebah or `iqqbah, “heel”).[7]
The boys displayed very different natures as they matured. “Esau became a hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a simple man, a dweller in tents” (Genesis 25:27). Moreover, the attitudes of their parents toward them also differ: “Isaac loved Esau because game was in his mouth, but Rebecca loved Jacob”[…]
Here comes the good part onto why I think MIB is Jacob’s brother:
[…]Jacob’s deception of Isaac:
Much later, Isaac became blind in his old age and, uncertain of when he would die, decided to bestow the blessing of the firstborn upon Esau. He sent Esau out to the fields to trap and cook a piece of savory game for him, so that he could eat it and bless Esau.
Rebecca overheard this conversation and realized prophetically that Isaac’s blessings would go to Jacob, since she was told before the twins’ birth that the older son would serve the younger.[9] She therefore ordered Jacob to bring her two goats from the flock, which she cooked in the way Isaac loved, and had him bring them to his father in place of Esau.
When Jacob protested that his father would recognize the deception and curse him as soon as he felt him, since Esau was hairy and Jacob smooth-skinned, Rebecca said that the curse would be on her instead. Before she sent Jacob to his father, she dressed him in Esau’s garments and laid goatskins on his arms and neck to simulate hairy skin.
Thus disguised, Jacob entered his father’s room. Surprised to perceive that Esau was back so soon, Isaac asked how it could be that the hunt went so quickly. Jacob responded, “Because the Lord your God arranged it for me”; Rashi (on Genesis 27:21) says Isaac’s suspicions were aroused because Esau never used the personal name of God. Isaac demanded that Jacob come close so he could feel him, but the goatskins felt just like Esau’s hairy skin. Confused, Isaac exclaimed, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau!” (27:22). Still trying to get at the truth, Isaac asked him point-blank, “Are you really my son Esau?” and Jacob answered simply, “I am” (which can be taken as “I am me”, not “I am Esau”). Isaac proceeded to eat the food and to drink the wine that Jacob gave him, and then he blessed him with the dew of the heavens, the fatness of the earth, and rulership over many nations as well as his own brother.
Jacob had scarcely left the room when Esau returned from the hunt to prepare his game and receive the blessing. The realization that he has been deceived shocked Isaac, yet he acknowledged that Jacob had received the blessings as sworn, by adding, “Indeed, he will be [or remain] blessed!” (27:33). Rashi explained that Isaac smelled the heavenly scent of Gan Eden (Paradise) when Jacob entered his room and, in contrast, perceived Gehenna opening beneath Esau when the latter entered the room, showing him that he had been deceived all along by Esau’s show of piety.[10]
Esau was heartbroken by the deception, and begged for his own blessing. Having made Jacob a ruler over his brothers, Isaac could only promise, “By your sword you shall live, but your brother you shall serve; yet it shall be that when you are aggrieved, you may cast off his yoke from upon your neck” (27:39-40).
Esau was filled with hatred toward Jacob for taking away both his birthright and his blessing. He vowed to himself to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac died. When Rebecca heard about his murderous intentions[11], she ordered Jacob to travel to her brother Laban’s house in Haran, until Esau’s anger subsided.[…]
There you have…
Debate everyone!
Thanx dude! This is what I was hoping for. Debate. Discussion. No problem bringin it up to the table.
I do think that there is some connection as to the bloodline they both have. I think he may have lied to Hurley when answering the question as to how he died. Maybe if MIB was his brother, then he should have said “my own brother killed me”, or “my own brother kad me killed” (cuz actually Ben did).
Keep it coming…nice.
Nice, thank you! I will try to read it 🙂
I feel that the connections between the story of Jacob and Esau and Jacob and MIB are more to do with the events rather than relationships. Jacob tricked Esau, Jacob was the one who was the sneaky, ‘unethical’ one, Esau was just a bit stupid. I think they will have this play out in the Jacob / MIB story – Jacob has done wrong, very wrong by MIB. The question is then, is MIB justified in his following actions? I posted a theory a week or so about Lost as a morality tale, and the story of Jacob and Esau fits it nicely as an example.
Most religions and spiritual belief systems come down to a few very similar core values. It’s interesting that as humans, even those completely seperate from others, we come to the same understandings and expectations of what it means to be good, whole, enlightened and that our morality tales are so transferable across systems.
But if Lost can encompasss all of these beliefs and still be coherant, they must be similar. In most religions you’ll find something like the Christian’s golden rule – judge not less ye be judged. Love and be respectful to ‘god’ and each other. Who ‘god’ is changes, but the love and wanting to be a good person is pretty consistant. God may be the Christian version, Allah, the universe, Gaia, a pantheon… but the concept is still the same.
Mamey –
For the record, even if you DID just copy and paste this, I’d much rather read this than something completely off the wall and far-fetched like what some people type up (ahem, ahem). This might not be extremely original, but I learned something. That’s cool with me.
It’s funny how someone would give ya a hard time about pasting, when the same person turns around and does the same thing and calls it a theory.
This show is getting harder and harder to theorize on. It’s not all science anymore, at least it would appear that way.
@chief – VERY GOOD observation.
about jacob and esau though. it makes me think back to when jacob offered esau some fish on the beach. that’s hilarious if you look at it in that context. like he is saying… “hey remember that time i fooled you into giving me your birthrite? that was great. you’re dumb.”
but back to the biblical example. i like that jacob and MIB could be an allusion to jacob and esau – but in the bible – esau comes around and welcomes his brother with open arms after he comes back home from being in another country. i don’t see these two reconciling their differences.
@tas – i understand where you come from on the idea of religions all have some core values in common – like treat others the way you want to be treated (golden rule), love your neighbor, love God. but it kind of stops there. because christianity would say that there is only one path to God (Jesus). you see – the differences that christians have with muslims, jews, hindus, buddhists, and everyone else is that the others don’t believe in Christ. not trying to convert you or anything. yea – people should live in harmony with each other. but the christian and the jew and the muslim and whoever else are going to have differences in belief systems. you can’t over-simplify all religions and say they are the same because they aren’t. if they were… then people would have realized that a long time ago.
that’s my two cents.
I don’t think all religions are the same. What I’m saying is that at the very core of each, there are HUGE similarities. Different belief systems work to get you there differently but what they are wanting to get to is pretty much the same – heaven, enlightenment, to be one with the world. The dogma of religions is what is different, is what people go to war over, which I find sad because they are so similar when you break it down. I had a person ask me once how I could accept the Christian God as ‘being’ when I am Wiccan and have a completely different set of beliefs. My answer is that whoever, or whatever you turn to for love and support, to give you strength in hard times ‘is’. I think of the world as made up of energy, it is in all of us and everything and I need to treat the world with respect because it is made up of the same as me, which means that everyone else’s spiritual beliefs are just as valid, we are all wanting the same from them. It is our upbringing, contexts and cultures which add the topping, the rituals, the specific god/s, underneath we are all looking for and talking about the same thing.
I think you’ve misinterpreted my comment about judgement, I don’t think there is one ultimate judge as such, more that the universe will take care of it (so maybe yes, the universe is the judge), but we should definately stop judging each other. I see that as real evil (although I’m not a big believer in good and evil), thinking we are ‘more’ than anyone else and that we have the right to act against them. So many wars have been started over this, each side believing they are doing right.
Gosh, A bit of a heavy philosophical rant for so early in the morning 😉
I’m with you, Chiefof16!. I’m starting to get tired of those bad vibes posts.
dude, the writers of lost are creatives! Their names are metaphors!!
Jacob did steal from MIB/Esau. He stoll FATE/DESTINY. He is try to establish freewill, or light, the power of people to change destiny.
He is stealing that which MIB/Easu represents that “Whats done is done”.
It works on allegorical levels. Still does not explain why this is all happneing or why time travelling began etc what Dharma were doing testing time travel.
We need more episodes to provide more jigsaw puzzles to complete the broader picture. For now, we are handicapped like Locke
I agree with religious overtones of the show, but a question that has not been answered or why do they show the Losties in homage to the Last Supper in season 6 promo’s? Also, why don’t they show Jacob/MIB in this so called picture. It’s a random thought, but they have Locke in the seat as Jesus and if Jacob/ MIB where in this picture it could allow us to interpet their relationship to Lost members just a thought. I’m new to the site just wanted some feed back, because it is very evident that this show is purely religious in nature!!