Ben told Richard to take everyone to the temple. Wha-a-a-a-t??? What is this temple, who built it, what god do they pray to there and why take everyone there?

Gaaahh!!! More questions!:eek2:

My best guess is: It's either a temple built by the builders of the four toed statue...or a temple built by the others to worship Jacob.

I forgot about that one until I read your post. Check back with me during season 5 and I'll answer your question about the temple,

I totally missed the whole "temple" reference. It has to be something related to the 4-toed statue?

It better be cool! I hope it's really old like that 4-toed foot statue. Hopefully it's massive and underground, with oracles and secret rooms and computers. They better not build a crappy set for this! Maybe they should build it like Jabba's palace, with a trapdoor and a monster!

The Temple could be another Hatch. One we haven't seen. Considering the dharma logo has eight sides, and we've seen seven hatches so far, it stands to reason there's an eighth.

I bet the temple has something to do with the 4 toed statue and will be a big part of next season

This line totally sets up a huge part of Season 4, which has been rumored to be about the island's ancient origins. I anticipate that one of the first few episodes will be a Richard Alpert flashback that accompanies Richard' and the remaining others' trek to the Temple.

I have been trying to figure out how they're going to manage to focus an entire season on the ancient backstory, but with the recent reveal about Richard's immortality and now this Temple thing, it all makes sense.

I also remember reading somewhere that

how every season has a "big" set. Season one was the caves,two the hatch,three the hydra and that next season it will be the "temple" or the "ruins"

I agree that the temple ihas to do with the statue and ruins.

I heard season 4 has to do with Jacob, so that would make sense.

Definitely part of the ancient culture, and it sets the stage for season 4.

I am excited about another mythology entering the show, and the temple comment was totally awesome. I feel like everything about the smoke monster has basically been explained (except where it came from), and I am sort of sick of the Dharma Initiative.

I turned to my wife last night when Richard said they were going to the temple, and said: "That's IT! They're all Mormons!" LOL! ;)

with the recent reveal about Richard's immortality and now this Temple thing, it all makes sense.

Whaaaa????? :confused:

What reveal about Richard's immortality??? I apparently missed this .....

It kind of upset me that there are so many mysteries about the island yet to be revealed, and the losties are already being rescued. So I hope they still address the island mysteries in the seasons to come, whether through flashbacks or whatever.

I bet the temple has something to do with the 4 toed statue and will be a big part of next season

Agreed, and my thinking is that it (this mythology) is a big part of why Jack wants to get back to the island.

Originally Posted by johnlockeisdead
with the recent reveal about Richard's immortality and now this Temple thing, it all makes sense.

Whaaaa????? :confused:

What reveal about Richard's immortality??? I apparently missed this .....

Speculation, I believe. ;)

In a previous episode when the others were leaving the barracks, Ben told Locke something like "We're going somewhere new, well old actually".

I also remember reading somewhere that

how every season has a "big" set. Season one was the caves,two the hatch,three the hydra and that next season it will be the "temple" or the "ruins"


Agreed...

I also remember the Ruins rumor...but can't remember where I read it...But if I recall currectly it was a tourist who was in Hawai and noticed Lost set builders building what he described as ancient ruins.

cheers

Maybe the temple is that building where they questioned Juliet at the beginning of the season, when they were trying to determine whether or not she was trying to kill ben?

Maybe the temple is that building where they questioned Juliet at the beginning of the season, when they were trying to determine whether or not she was trying to kill ben?

I'm pretty sure that was just a room/building on Hydra Island.

Her "trial" looked like it was done in a conference/community room.

cheers

I think that next season being about the ancient history of the island could be right on. While we would All like to know what happens in between Jack getting A hold of Naomi's boat And him tellin Kate they need to go back, AI think next season will start out with the others. We know that a lot of the Losties have been offered movie roles, and some are actually filming, so why not take advantage of the Others Actors and explain their back story.

I mean seriously the others are An interesting bunch. Is Richard Alpert immortal? How were the others able to recruit people in the real world if they were native in habitants? WHAT IS JACOB??? does Jacob have anything to do with smokey or walt??? season four would be a great time to explain those things to us.

I'm so glad someone had posted a thread about this. I was going to if it wasn't already done. It's been hard to check everything that's involved with this eppy.
I bet the temple has something to do with the 4 toed statue and will be a big part of next season

I was thinking the same thing. Damon L. though, says that the set for S4 is not the ruins (to either Krisen or Doc Jensen) but I imagine it will figure in some way. Before the comment, we should have been ready for something like this with the cultish funeral rites, Richard's agelessness, and the slavish devotion to Ben and Jacob.

As a sculptor let me say this:
I can believe that the ruins could be in every episode next season and still not be the "BIG" set or whatever.

Ruins just aren't that hard to fabricate. I made some ruins that cost less than 50 bucks, a little dumpster diving, and took maybe three days to build for a Passion Play at a church.

Now, if the Looking Glass doesn't get more play I'll be surprised. That looked expensive.

you are right, in an interview (with Kristen) Damon claims that there is no "Ruins" set for next season. But I'll bet there is a "temple" set next season. He didn't deny that -- not by any means. I believe those two words (temple and ruins)can mean very different things.

wow, i think its was built by the hostiles, but its sounds realy cool, cant wait to see it

The search function is still disabled so I am unable to see if there is a thread on this yet. But after watching the finale for the 4th time, I am still trying to figure out to what Ben is referring when he directs Richard Alpert to take the rest of the Others to "the Temple". Is that an important reference?

Probably...but we won't know about it until later.

I thought that was interesting. These people are perhaps "religious?" If so, what sort of gods do they worship? I'm going to go on a limb and say that they worship the smoke monster.:)

Ok, my former post was wiped out for some reason. I had said that it seemed obvious to me that when Ben told Richard to take the rest of the Others to the temple that it has to be some sort of safe-house. Ben said in this episode that if Jack made that call then all of the living people on the Island were in danger of dying.

So it stands to reason that Ben thought that by sending the rest of his people to the Temple, he was doing his best to keep them safe. What is it about the Temple on the Island that made Ben (and the rest of the Others) believe they were safe from whatever forces if they were in the Temple?

I turned to my wife last night when Richard said they were going to the temple, and said: "That's IT! They're all Mormons!" LOL! ;)


According to my calculations, it is Saturday. Therefore they are Jewish.

I was only kidding, folks. The temple really is probably like the one for the mutants from Battle For The Planet Of The Apes. (I better spolier font for whoever is planning on catching up with that movie one day)The mutants worshipped a nuclear warhead. :eek:

But why is it a safe-house from whatever danger is coming to the Island? Doesn't that presuppose that there is something ominous about the Temple?

But why is it a safe-house from whatever danger is coming to the Island? Doesn't that presuppose that there is something ominous about the Temple?

Well until the last hundred years or so...churches, temples and such were the most safe and secure structures that a society would build. They were used for sactuary and saftey in times of war and such. So it could be both.

SO anybody want to guess at the style of architecture it will be.

cheers

The giant four-toed statue and the ancient column that Cooper was tied to definitely illustrates an ancient culture. The others/hostiles definitely have that ancient "cult worshipping" appeal.

I definitely don't think the temple is a hatch although I do believe there is an eighth hatch we haven't seen yet.

Well until the last hundred years or so...churches, temples and such were the most safe and secure structures that a society would build. They were used for sactuary and saftey in times of war and such. So it could be both.

SO anybody want to guess at the style of architecture it will be.

cheers

Gothic. :)

where do people hear that they want to focus on the ancient-ness of the island for season 4? i don't know why i can't seem to find good things out. even the spoilers i find out... it's just that "oh in this episode we'll find out why locke is in the wheelchair" not *cooper pushing him out a window*.

The Others already seem to have some kind of ritual sacrifice (Cooper tied up to the carved and decorated pillar, for instance), so it makes sense they would use some kind of "temple."

Oh snap, it's the Temple of Doom. :D

Temple?! I must have missed that... wow.,.can anybody say Indiana Jack and the Garden of Fertility??? I cant wait until Feb... :)

My take on it. The Temple is another Dharma Station. The one dedicated to Parapsycology. It's not on the island. It's on a nearby island or it is a floating station (like an oil rig). To get to the Temple, you have to follow the bearing Ben gave to Michael. That is the only way to find it. And just like the island, it is very hard to see. It's probably cloacked by a similar mechanism used for the main island. The Others probably have a good amount of more others living in there. They are gonna run to it to be safe from the imminent invasion caused by Jack's call.

I'm totally looking forward to seeing that temple. I'm dying to see what it looks like.

Well until the last hundred years or so...churches, temples and such were the most safe and secure structures that a society would build. Incorrect. Allthough that would describe a castle really well.


wow.,.can anybody say Indiana Jack and the Garden of Fertility??? LOL.

Just because they are going to a temple, especially if it is an ancient structure doesn't mean the others have a religion of their own. Just because I find a reason to go to the grand canyon doesn't make me a rock.

My guess for architectural style is monolithic.

Just because I find a reason to go to the grand canyon doesn't make me a rock.
:24:

The way they talked about and revered Jacob seems to indicate there IS some kind of religion/cult thing going on around here. If they don't see him as God, they at least see him as some sort of special human being God (or some supernatural force) has greatly empowered!

How can Jacob be God if "God loved you as he loved Jacob"... So Jacob must at least be a rung down the ladder below "God"... :biggrin:

Is it possible that the temple is the building where Karl was being brainwashed? I don't have screen-caps, but I think I remember the outside being "temple-ish...

Nah i think the temple will be a grander structure than just Room 23.

Well, remember. There was more than just Room 23 in that structure. The outside, if memory serves me correct, was pretty large and guarded...once inside they had to find room 23...I dunno, just speculation :-)

The temple will reveal the older history of the Island. Something I see season 4 taking on i guess

The temple will reveal the older history of the Island. Something I see season 4 taking on i guess


Yah I definitely agree with this idea. They four toed statue and the temple have to be connected somehow.

I wonder if the Temple is where Richard Alpert was leading his commando strikes against the DI? Another question is have is: What if the Temple is a relic from the future and not the past?

It surely has something to do with the ancient culture of the island - something they teased us with in S2 finale and a couple times this year. If the ancient past plays a big part of the mythology, then I would think they would really need to begin this storyline in S4 to have it play out effectively in the last 48 episodes.

I have been trying to figure out how they're going to manage to focus an entire season on the ancient backstory, but with the recent reveal about Richard's immortality and now this Temple thing, it all makes sense.



What reveal are you talking about? Is this a spoiler???



Are you serious?? I haven't heard anything about this. I hope it's not true.

I'd guess it's where the hostiles hung out before taking over the DI barracks. There seems like there were more "others" than the few hanging out with Ben right now. Where's the "sheriff" ? I'd say it will end up being the original inhabitants main area or base of operations, and I'll believe we'll find that at least a few others are descended from the ancient inhabitants. It would be stupid writing on the part of the writers, but the island keeps looking more like the remains of Atlantis all the time.

The Temple could be another Hatch. One we haven't seen.I really like this idea. I think we were meant to infer it's another remnant of the "ancient" culture, especially after showing us the Pillar; The Temple being a hatch would be a lot more surprising.

Also, I can't say I was ever really excited by that pillar. It's significance was never touched on, other than being the harbinger of confusing plot holes ("Kate, you can't join us because you killed your father. John, if you want to join us you must kill your father.").

75%
How can Jacob be God if "God loved you as he loved Jacob"... So Jacob must at least be a rung down the ladder below "God"... :biggrin:Maybe God loves Jacob like a brother?

I have been trying to figure out how they're going to manage to focus an entire season on the ancient backstory, but with the recent reveal about Richard's immortality and now this Temple thing, it all makes sense.

johnlockeisdead,
When was it revealed that Richard is immortal? Or is it simply speculation on someone's part? :confused:
100%
Are you serious?? I haven't heard anything about this. I hope it's not true.

Tom,
I apologize for any confusion, but up above you have quoted me as saying something that I did not say. It was not my comment, but actually one made by "johnlockeisdead", and in my haste earlier I obviously failed to surround it by quote marks. I am questioning his statement for myself. I have since deleted it and reposted here. :blush:

I was just rewatching part of Season 2 and I just saw What Kate Did. In that episode, Eko give Locke the bible he brought from the hatch the tailies were living in. It contained the strip of the orientation film that was removed. Anyway, before he gave Locke the book, he told this little story (copied transcript from Lost Hatch):

"I have something I think you should see. If you don't mind, I will begin at the beginning. Long before Christ the king of Judah was a man named Josiah.

At that time the temple where the people worshipped was in ruin. And so the people worshipped idols, false gods. And so the kingdom was in disarray. Josiah, since he was a good king, sent his secretary to the treasury and said, We must rebuild the temple. Give all of the gold to the workers so that this will be done. But when the secretary returned, he had no gold. And when Josiah asked why this was the secretary replied, We found a book.

What the secretary had found was an ancient book... the Book of Law. You may know it as the Old Testament. And it was with that ancient book, not with the gold, that Josiah rebuilt the temple."

Doesn't this remind you of Dharma's use of technology vs. Jacob's hate of technology? And Locke's comment to Ben about using all the modern conveniences?

I'm sure this was just a throw-away conversation - but the "temple" just struck a chord with me since I just heard it in the finale.

I expect the temple to be in ruins.

The Temple could be another Hatch. One we haven't seen. Considering the dharma logo has eight sides, and we've seen seven hatches so far, it stands to reason there's an eighth.

...We've seen that many?

...We've seen that many?

Swan, Arrow, Medical, Hydra, Pearl, Flame, Looking Glass, not to mention Othersville, the Radio Tower, and Jacob's Cabin.

I think its the old place Ben was reffering in the brig. Ben said that you (Richard) need to continue to the temple. Maybe its now ruined (like the ruins ans the statue). Wait!!! I just realised! They worship the the person with four toes (whose statue was builed after). Maybe, its like the island god, Jacob could be its brother, and the monster is its creation. Cool
100%
Swan, Arrow, Medical, Hydra, Pearl, Flame, Looking Glass, not to mention Othersville, the Radio Tower, and Jacob's Cabin.

Jacob has nothing to do with Dharma, remember Jacob hates technology, Dharma is all about the technology

johnlockeisdead,
When was it revealed that Richard is immortal? Or is it simply speculation on someone's part? :confused:

I think it's just speculation based on the appearance than Richard hasn't seemed to age since he met Ben in the 70s.

la mayyitan ma qadirun yatabaqa sarmadi
fa itha yaji ash-shuthath al-mautu qad yantahi.


Iä Iä Cthulhu ftaghn.

the H.P.Lovecraft short story ' Call of Cthulhu' has many resonances with Lost

well worth reading, even though some of the language sounds somewhat politically incorrect in this day and age.

http://www.dagonbytes.com/thelibrary/lovecraft/thecallofcthulhu.htm

check this bit
"There had been aeons when other Things ruled on the earth, and They had had great cities. Remains of Them, ..., were still be found as Cyclopean stones on islands in the Pacific."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopean

I vote for Mayan-esque.

Could it be a BUDDHIST Temple? The authors often make plays on names, and DHARMA is a word from eastern religious traditions. Here's a quote from Wikipedia:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma

Anyone have any thoughts on what the Temple is? Where it's at? It's origins? Anythinggggg? Share all your thoughts.


I personally think it has gotta be something underground. Like an underground temple. The survivors would have already seen something like a temple.....well I actually take that back. They didn't see the radio tower until now.

I have no idea specifically what the temple is, but I think it's a place that Ben feels is secure. That all might've gone down the drain when Jack made that call though...

All we really know about The Temple is that it's of considerable importance to the Others and is considered an "old" place (Ben's words). My guess is that it's a more large scale (and intact) version of some of the other ruins we have seen on the Island, remnants of an earlier, and perhaps original civilization native to the Island. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some ultra-modern, even incredibly advanced aspects to The Temple, vestiges of some sort of civilization from the future.

Anyone have any thoughts on what the Temple is? Where it's at? It's origins? Anythinggggg? Share all your thoughts.

I personally think it has gotta be something underground. Like an underground temple. The survivors would have already seen something like a temple.....well I actually take that back. They didn't see the radio tower until now.

Okay, here's what I hope that they DON'T find when they get to the temple:

YouTube Temple Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LePcmgTLC04)

No offense intended...

I have a feeling that the architecture will be similar to what we saw with the four-toed statue and the sacrifice pole that Cooper was tied to.
100%
Okay, here's what I hope that they DON'T find when they get to the temple:

YouTube Temple Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LePcmgTLC04)

No offense intended...

:biggrin: That's pretty damn funny. Actually, if the others turned out to be a fringe mormon cult, that'd certainly be a game changer!

I have a feeling that the architecture will be similar to what we saw with the four-toed statue and the sacrifice pole that Cooper was tied to.
100%


:biggrin: That's pretty damn funny. Actually, if the others turned out to be a fringe mormon cult, that'd certainly be a game changer!


Ugh it sure would but I'd absolutely HATE that idea.

Oh, it won't really happen. I was being silly. Or something. :cool:

Okay, I've thought about this temple business for a bit, and have some ideas to share. What do we know so far about the Others' religious trappings? I think we saw a pretty good glimpse of it when they had the funeral for Colleen. Here are a couple of screencaps:

Gathering round the body (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78442&fullsize=1).

Wearing white clothes (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78443&fullsize=1).

Pickett kneeling at Colleen's side (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78448&fullsize=1).

Carrying body into sea (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78464&fullsize=1).

Lighting funeral barge (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78467&fullsize=1).

This method of funeral is evocative of several cultures: Viking, certain Germanic tribes, and Egyptians. It also is similar in some ways to the Hindu/Buddhist practice of cremation and then dumping the ashes into water. Here's a very brief Wiki entry about boat cremations/burials (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_burial).

What the overall message of burying someone like this imparts is the idea that the soul is undertaking a journey after death. Thus, it could perhaps be deduced from this that the Others have a belief in an afterlife, that they believe the soul is undertaking a journey of sorts, and that the fire helps the process along the way.

On the other hand, they did not bury the DHARMA people, but rather dumped them rudely in an open pit and just left them there exposed to the elements to rot. This means that they do not wish to honor those whom they killed through the Purge. What it also means is that the Others have a very strong worldview that places people as either belonging to their group, or being not worthy of even giving proper respect through burial. It's a very strong black/white, us/them attitude, which in turn is a very strong indicator of a religious cult. Here's a site that lists some characteristics of what constitutes a cult (http://www.nwrain.net/~refocus/charcult.html), for reference. It is interesting to see how many of these characteristics the Others exhibit.

Now they are going to a Temple. In order for a religion to have a Temple, it is first necessary for there to be a recognition of some sort of separation of the sacred from the non-sacred. This might sound a bit strange, but not every religion has sacred buildings that are erected as permanent structures. The fact that the Others have such a place indicates that they feel that there are certain aspects of this special place (the Temple) that separate it from the rest of the Island - making it a special place for them.

What this means is that they have got to have an organized and cohesive religion if they have a Temple they are using actively. So not only do they believe they are some sort of "chosen" people (the white/black, us/them thing), but they also believe they are carrying on some sort of activity in their Temple that is essential to having that status of being specially chosen.

This all paints a picture of a group of people who would fight to the last to preserve their Island, which we've basically seen. Think of how easily Klugh accepted Mikhail's shooting of her - she begged for it rather than compromise herself to the Losties. That's pretty heavy duty, if you ask me. These Others are a pretty wacked out cult, I'm beginning to believe.

At any rate, just my two cents' worth...

Great analysis, Saukkomies! I especially like your thoughts on the Others as a cult; I definitely get that slightly creepy, do-or-die vibe from them! At any rate, can't wait for S4!

Great analysis, Saukkomies! I especially like your thoughts on the Others as a cult; I definitely get that slightly creepy, do-or-die vibe from them! At any rate, can't wait for S4!
Agreed. Great analysis. I can't wait for S4 either. Only 35 more weeks to go.

I was just reminded of this scene with Eko/John regarding Eko's story of a temple.

Eko: At that time the temple where the people worshipped was in ruin. And so the people worshipped idols, false gods. And so the kingdom was in disarray. Josiah, since he was a good king, sent his secretary to the treasury and said: "We must rebuild the temple. Give all of the gold to the workers so that this will be done." But when the secretary returned, he had no gold. And when Josiah asked why this was the secretary replied, "We found a book." Do you know this story?

Locke: No, I'm afraid I don't.

Eko: What the secretary had found was an ancient book, the Book of Law. You may know it as the Old Testament. And it was with that ancient book, not with the gold, that Josiah rebuilt the temple. On the other side of the island we found a place much like this, and in this place we found a book. (Mr. Eko unwraps the bible he found and hands it to Locke) I believe what's inside there will be of great value to you.

Great analysis, Saukkomies! I especially like your thoughts on the Others as a cult; I definitely get that slightly creepy, do-or-die vibe from them! At any rate, can't wait for S4!

Thanks. I don't think I came up with anything original, though. The Others have been called a cult for quite some time now... But thanks!

Now they are going to a Temple. In order for a religion to have a Temple, it is first necessary for there to be a recognition of some sort of separation of the sacred from the non-sacred. This might sound a bit strange, but not every religion has sacred buildings that are erected as permanent structures. The fact that the Others have such a place indicates that they feel that there are certain aspects of this special place (the Temple) that separate it from the rest of the Island - making it a special place for them.

I guess that I have never linked the Others with the Temple.

I ASSUMED the Temple (just like the statue) existed WAY before the Others. At some point the Others found the temple and naturally they called it the Temple (because that is what it is).

I think the Temple and the folks who are staying there (kids, stewardess from the flight, etc.) will be key in S4...I expect when we see them next we will also see Locke -- I'm betting that's where he went after he knifed Naomi. And it will be interesting to see their reax when Locke returns without Ben (who is tied-up at the monent).

Rabidranger pretty much summed it up for me.

To whomever said that we would have seen the temple by now, keep in mind that the island is very large -- approx 100 miles I read before. I would NOT be surprised if we didn't actually see the temple unil late next season.

Rabidranger pretty much summed it up for me.

To whomever said that we would have seen the temple by now, keep in mind that the island is very large -- approx 100 miles I read before. I would NOT be surprised if we didn't actually see the temple unil late next season.

Actually (note: super super spoiler material follows!):


According to the Lost Rumours site (http://lostrumours.blogspot.com/2007/05/lost-revealed.html), the very elaborate temple set is almost complete, and they're planning on filming on it beginning in August when the production crew reconvenes after their summer break.


So from that we can probably make a guess that the temple will be fairly prominent early on next season.

I think the four toe statue is related to the temple, and they were all there long before the others got to the island. The temple is a fountain tap for the islands power.

I was just reminded of this scene with Eko/John regarding Eko's story of a temple.

Eko: At that time the temple where the people worshipped was in ruin. And so the people worshipped idols, false gods. And so the kingdom was in disarray. Josiah, since he was a good king, sent his secretary to the treasury and said: "We must rebuild the temple. Give all of the gold to the workers so that this will be done." But when the secretary returned, he had no gold. And when Josiah asked why this was the secretary replied, "We found a book." Do you know this story?

Locke: No, I'm afraid I don't.

Eko: What the secretary had found was an ancient book, the Book of Law. You may know it as the Old Testament. And it was with that ancient book, not with the gold, that Josiah rebuilt the temple. On the other side of the island we found a place much like this, and in this place we found a book. (Mr. Eko unwraps the bible he found and hands it to Locke) I believe what's inside there will be of great value to you.

Interesting so to Eko The temple is, in a way, the hatch Arrow!:rolleyes:
Do you think it can be the real name of the hatch?
The only thing we know about this hatch is that Horace Goodspeed was working in it and he was a mathematician...was he working on the valenzetti equation?

I was just reminded of this scene with Eko/John regarding Eko's story of a temple.

Eko: At that time the temple where the people worshipped was in ruin. And so the people worshipped idols, false gods. And so the kingdom was in disarray. Josiah, since he was a good king, sent his secretary to the treasury and said: "We must rebuild the temple. Give all of the gold to the workers so that this will be done." But when the secretary returned, he had no gold. And when Josiah asked why this was the secretary replied, "We found a book." Do you know this story?

Locke: No, I'm afraid I don't.

Eko: What the secretary had found was an ancient book, the Book of Law. You may know it as the Old Testament. And it was with that ancient book, not with the gold, that Josiah rebuilt the temple. On the other side of the island we found a place much like this, and in this place we found a book. (Mr. Eko unwraps the bible he found and hands it to Locke) I believe what's inside there will be of great value to you.

hmm, I didn't think of that. good point. this brought something else to mind: the piece of film strip that Eko found in that Bible resurrects a few questions (that I'm sure were raised at the time, but become more significant now):
- who cut that specific piece from the reel, and more importantly, why?
- why was the piece put inside a Holy Bible?
- why was there a Roman Catholic Holy Bible in this place? does this assume that the Others have some connection to Catholicism?

I can answer the first question, it's radzinski who cut the film judging by what Kelvin said to Desmond in the season 2 finale if i remember correctly.

raddy cut the film, inman told us that (he is inside the hatch thus he is in man :)

interesting thing is why did he do that, and why were the clips scattered around the island?

Scattered? Is there more than just the missing peice Eko had found and given to Locke? What am I forgetting?

Okay, I've thought about this temple business for a bit, and have some ideas to share. What do we know so far about the Others' religious trappings? I think we saw a pretty good glimpse of it when they had the funeral for Colleen. Here are a couple of screencaps:

Gathering round the body (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78442&fullsize=1).

Wearing white clothes (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78443&fullsize=1).

Pickett kneeling at Colleen's side (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78448&fullsize=1).

Carrying body into sea (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78464&fullsize=1).

Lighting funeral barge (http://gallery.lost-media.com/displayimage.php?pid=78467&fullsize=1).

This method of funeral is evocative of several cultures: Viking, certain Germanic tribes, and Egyptians. It also is similar in some ways to the Hindu/Buddhist practice of cremation and then dumping the ashes into water. Here's a very brief Wiki entry about boat cremations/burials (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_burial).

What the overall message of burying someone like this imparts is the idea that the soul is undertaking a journey after death. Thus, it could perhaps be deduced from this that the Others have a belief in an afterlife, that they believe the soul is undertaking a journey of sorts, and that the fire helps the process along the way.

On the other hand, they did not bury the DHARMA people, but rather dumped them rudely in an open pit and just left them there exposed to the elements to rot. This means that they do not wish to honor those whom they killed through the Purge. What it also means is that the Others have a very strong worldview that places people as either belonging to their group, or being not worthy of even giving proper respect through burial. It's a very strong black/white, us/them attitude, which in turn is a very strong indicator of a religious cult. Here's a site that lists some characteristics of what constitutes a cult (http://www.nwrain.net/~refocus/charcult.html), for reference. It is interesting to see how many of these characteristics the Others exhibit.

Now they are going to a Temple. In order for a religion to have a Temple, it is first necessary for there to be a recognition of some sort of separation of the sacred from the non-sacred. This might sound a bit strange, but not every religion has sacred buildings that are erected as permanent structures. The fact that the Others have such a place indicates that they feel that there are certain aspects of this special place (the Temple) that separate it from the rest of the Island - making it a special place for them.

What this means is that they have got to have an organized and cohesive religion if they have a Temple they are using actively. So not only do they believe they are some sort of "chosen" people (the white/black, us/them thing), but they also believe they are carrying on some sort of activity in their Temple that is essential to having that status of being specially chosen.

This all paints a picture of a group of people who would fight to the last to preserve their Island, which we've basically seen. Think of how easily Klugh accepted Mikhail's shooting of her - she begged for it rather than compromise herself to the Losties. That's pretty heavy duty, if you ask me. These Others are a pretty wacked out cult, I'm beginning to believe.

At any rate, just my two cents' worth...

Thats very good work

But your forgetting the part when they ate her flesh.:redface:

You actually left out the biggest part though

The worship of Jacob. More than once "Faith in Jacob" has been mentioned. What people do in a temple IS Worship

But Im gonna say the religion is all a scam. As with many cults--its all about their leaders using deception as a way of control

In this case--all that are recruited are decieved into thinking they are the chosen. At this point in the story, with the most of the best Others dead--faith is being called into question and will most likey unravel.

I rewatched the Season 2 finale the other day, and my attention was drawn to the rock with a hole in it. When I first saw it, yeah, I thought "Rock with a hole." But now that I heard "Temple," when I saw it again, it seemed more like a wall with a window cut into it. Could it be the ruins of an ancient temple?