23 people were in tail who initially survived and 48 were in the front of the plane: but 6 survive making the number of people in the human sacrifice 23 and 42.

It only takes a second: go look up bible, numbers 8 and check to see who is asked to make the sacrifice. It’s one of the creepiest passages in the Bible since most people don’t think of the Bible talking about human sacrifice.

I would note as well that Jacob was the founder of Israel and that his 12 sons founded the 12 tribes of Israel. Jacob struggled throughout his life and his favorite son was – yup – Benjamin.

Is it possible that they are or were test subjects?[/quote]

Great stuff. Just found this site. Excellent insights from all.

May I suggest a thought I have that is a bit radical from what I have read? What, if “The Others,” are the children that were taken, or their descendants? I believe some of the islanders saw some of “The Others” walking past them in the jungle. I recall the Huckleberry Finn look of little children and the carrying of the Teddy Bear, SUGGESTING, it came from the stolen child and these Others were uncivilized. What if that WAS the child, but evolved or aged as in possibly living in another time zone? IMO, the only one that we know of from the science expedition, who aged normally was “Alex.”

I think you hit the nail on the head when stating that the “Others” are trying to create a virus. I personally think Ben wants to rule in a private Utopia and may very well be the grown up “Claire” baby (who gets Baptised), whose name now escapes me. The offscreen moments with the FERTILITY doctor, if she told the truth, shows she is upset “following Ben’s orders” and looks forward to “free will;” Jack .. provides that for her.

The numbers: I have wondered why they never really showed anyone looking into the night sky and trying to determine WHERE they are, since Desmond and others seem to know how to sail. I think the posts here trump my theories on the numbers, for sure. I had believed them to be basically of Biblical reference, and each person was playing a part in the coming (or the second coming) of the Messiah. The island seemed to me to be started by DHARMA (D and H are the 4th and 8th letters in the English alphabet .. and there are six letters in all in DHARMA, like the monitors, the monitoring stations), but was taken over for military reasons (post Gulf War) as a missile defense system, OFF THE RADAR. I felt the numbers had more religious meaning, but maybe they span everything.

I feel Ben WANTED the hatch destroyed as he obviously wanted John to NOT push the button, then again, I am assuming he believed no rescue was coming for himself, but he also knows he can be monitored, I think.

This all seems like the Garden of Eden in Jerusalem. The “monster” seems to be the “serpent,” Ben is like the head of Rome around the time of zero B.C. Miracles cure the crippled and the sick. And Penelope seems to have the money and desire to find her Desmond.

The Mayans apparently believe the world will end on 12/21/2012 when our solar system moves into the dark rift of the Milky Way. They work on Baktun cycles and I wish I could find the article I wrote that relates it all to the turning of our solar system.

Ron (This is the first time I have ever posted a word on “Lost” … so, I am not here by coincidence.)

So.. to summarize;

4 = D
8 = H
15 = A
16 = R
23 = M
42 = A

or….. D H A R M A.

L.O.S.T.

L(12) + O(15) + S(19) + T(20) = 66