05-18-2007, 03:25 PM
pRON, rewatch the episode. It's dark, Ben and Locke have flashlights and are walking to Jacob's cabin. Ben purposely steps over a greyish 'line' on the ground. Locke notices Ben's actions, shines his flashlight on the 'line'. As he shines it left and right, we see the line curves inward in the direction that they're walking. Locke bends down to examine the 'line'. He picks some of it up and smells it. Ben interrupts Locke and tells him "Let's go, John."
It's pretty evident by it's texture that the substance is a powder or ash. In folklore, a ring of ash is used to confine a ghost or spirit. Jacob is at first invisible, then briefly transparent (like a ghost or spirit). Thus the surmise: "Jacob is trapped in his cabin by the ring of ash (remember Locke bending down to inspect after Ben carefully stepped over it)."
It's pretty evident by it's texture that the substance is a powder or ash. In folklore, a ring of ash is used to confine a ghost or spirit. Jacob is at first invisible, then briefly transparent (like a ghost or spirit). Thus the surmise: "Jacob is trapped in his cabin by the ring of ash (remember Locke bending down to inspect after Ben carefully stepped over it)."