So, where are they?
My guess: Eden. That's right...the Garden of Eden.
"But, wasn't Eden supposed to have been in the Middle East?" you say. Well, that's what many think, but the truth is that no one knows for sure. Heck, the Mormons even think it's somewhere in Missouri. So how could Eden now be an island? Well, remember, if we're following Biblical precedent, after Adam and Eve came Noah and the flood. The entire earth was flooded, and it's possible that Eden became an island after this. No, I have no scientific proof for this, but it works as a purely hypothetical theory. There are lots of Biblical references in this show, so it would make sense.
This would also explain why women can't give birth on the island. In the Bible, after Adam and Eve eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, God says to Eve that he will "intensify the pangs of your childbearing." (Genesis 3:16, NAB) Maybe when women are actually in Eden, those pangs are so intense that the women die. Remember, Eve never gave birth in Eden, and so far as we know, no one after her ever did either.
This could also explain the healing powers of the island.
The monster
I'm guessing that the monster is the Angel of Death. In Exodus, the tenth plague visited upon Egypt is the death of the first born. My theory will get even more support if we find out that Locke has an older sibling, since the monster didn't kill him. For now, I have no idea why the monster is driven away by the Others' sonic security system.
The numbers
I'm not too sure about them. I've tried finding symbolic connections, particularly in the Bible, but so far nothing. I am beginning to wonder if they really are what Hanso says in the video--numbers from nature and humans. If so, then 4 could refer to the number of seasons, while 23 could refer to the fact that all humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes. I'm not sure what 8, 15, 16, or 42 would be.
The stations
Each of the DHARMA station symbols corresponds to a constellation:
- The Swan - Cygnus (the swan)
- The Arrow - Saggita (the arrow)
- The Flame - Fornax (the furnace)
- The Hydra - Hydra
- The Staff (caduceus) - Ophiuchus (the snake holder/the healer)
- The Pearl - I'm guessing this would correspond to the moon
Who is Ben?
I'm guessing he's the Devil. He says he was born on the island, so it could be him, since in the Bible the Devil first appears in Eden. Plus, he just doesn't seem trustworthy to me. We know he lies.
What is DHARMA?
I'm guessing that somehow, someone found this island, and they figured out what it was (maybe they found the Tree). Obviously, they wanted to keep it very secret, but they started to study it. Maybe it was Hanso's family, since I remember reading somewhere that the Black Rock was captained by his grandfather or great-grandfather. Anyways, they were trying to "fix" the Valenzetti equation. What better place to work to figure out when the world will end than where it began? Also, the way Hanso refers to DHARMA as "the one true way" is obviously very Biblical and religious. The word dharma itself is considered "the Way of the Higher Truths" (thanks Wikipedia).
Who is Jacob?
I really have no idea. I don't think it's Locke though. I'm guessing that maybe the "list" that everyone keeps referring to has 12 people on it (Jacob had 12 sons, and they became the 12 Tribes of Israel). Jacob is pretty important in the Bible, so I'm guessing he has to be pretty important on the island.
Ok, that's all I can think of for now. I'll update this as I come up with new or additional theories.
