Jacob was living on the Island in a hidden chamber beneath the statue of Taweret. Here he worked on the production of a tapestry. One morning, as Jacob ate breakfast outside the statue, the Man in Black approached him. The two had a short conversation while watching a ship some distance off the Island. The Man in Black accused Jacob of bringing the ship to the Island in a further attempt to prove him wrong, to which Jacob merely replied: "You are wrong." The man asked Jacob if he was aware how badly he wanted to kill him. Later, the man declared he would find a "loophole" and be able to accomplish the deed. Jacob replied by saying when that day came the Man in Black would know where to find him.
When Richard Alpert arrived on the Island aboard the Black Rock a few days later, he first encountered the Man in Black, who told Richard, Jacob was the Devil. The Man in Black also claimed, Jacob had stolen his body. The Man in Black asked Richard to kill Jacob. Richard agreed and went out to find and kill Jacob, armed with a knife provided by the Man in Black and forewarned to strike before Jacob could speak. After a brief and violent confrontation, Jacob refuted the Man in Black's claims. He portrayed the Island as a cork which stoppers a jug of wine, the wine representing evil that could escape to the world. He also revealed, he has brought many people to the Island, all of whom had died. While not offering specifics on their fates, Jacob lamented, he expected any of those people to be able to discern between good and evil without his intervention. Jacob offered Richard a role as his representative to new people that Jacob would bring to the Island, allowing him a level of anonymous intervention.In exchange, he told Richard, he could have a gift. Jacob touched Richard, conveying an ability to remain ageless and to live forever. Later, Richard returned to the Man in Black to say, he couldn't do what he agreed to and gave him a white rock, a gift from Jacob.
Shortly after, Jacob approached the Man in Black and handed him the wine bottle he used to describe the Island to Richard. He asked the Man in Black if he had sent Richard to kill him. The Man in Black told Jacob, he only wanted to leave the Island and requested Jacob let him go. Jacob replied, as long as he was alive that would not happen. The Man in Black declared he would kill Jacob, to which Jacob replied that someone would replace him. The Man in Black responded that he would just kill them too. Jacob then took his leave, saying he would see the Man in Black later, to which the Man in Black replied "sooner than you think".
When Jacob speaks with Richard, he says he has been bringing people to the Island for many years and the people he'd brought are now all dead. Jacob claims the nature of his bringing these people is a test to determine whether or not they can make the right choices. Richard tells Jacob he should intervene and help them, because otherwise, the Man in Black will. It is unclear how long Jacob had been doing this.
When Richard Alpert arrived on the Island aboard the Black Rock a few days later, he first encountered the Man in Black, who told Richard, Jacob was the Devil. The Man in Black also claimed, Jacob had stolen his body. The Man in Black asked Richard to kill Jacob. Richard agreed and went out to find and kill Jacob, armed with a knife provided by the Man in Black and forewarned to strike before Jacob could speak. After a brief and violent confrontation, Jacob refuted the Man in Black's claims. He portrayed the Island as a cork which stoppers a jug of wine, the wine representing evil that could escape to the world. He also revealed, he has brought many people to the Island, all of whom had died. While not offering specifics on their fates, Jacob lamented, he expected any of those people to be able to discern between good and evil without his intervention. Jacob offered Richard a role as his representative to new people that Jacob would bring to the Island, allowing him a level of anonymous intervention.In exchange, he told Richard, he could have a gift. Jacob touched Richard, conveying an ability to remain ageless and to live forever. Later, Richard returned to the Man in Black to say, he couldn't do what he agreed to and gave him a white rock, a gift from Jacob.
Shortly after, Jacob approached the Man in Black and handed him the wine bottle he used to describe the Island to Richard. He asked the Man in Black if he had sent Richard to kill him. The Man in Black told Jacob, he only wanted to leave the Island and requested Jacob let him go. Jacob replied, as long as he was alive that would not happen. The Man in Black declared he would kill Jacob, to which Jacob replied that someone would replace him. The Man in Black responded that he would just kill them too. Jacob then took his leave, saying he would see the Man in Black later, to which the Man in Black replied "sooner than you think".
When Jacob speaks with Richard, he says he has been bringing people to the Island for many years and the people he'd brought are now all dead. Jacob claims the nature of his bringing these people is a test to determine whether or not they can make the right choices. Richard tells Jacob he should intervene and help them, because otherwise, the Man in Black will. It is unclear how long Jacob had been doing this.
