From the Jack centric episode "Lighthouse" we found out that Jacob has been watching his candidates since they were children. He has helped them in making decisions that lead them to the Island.
Jacob is doing this because:
1) To prove a point to MIB
2)To have someone take over his position in case he dies.
Jacob's Explanation for the Island
Jacob explained to Richard that the Island is like the cork of a wine bottle. The wine in the bottle is evil and is trying to escape. Thus the Island is keeping evil from reaching the outside world.
What is this evil? As of right now it maybe MIB. Maybe it is the sickness. It could be electromagnetism. Or possibly MIB's crazy mother.
Jacob, his candidates, and water are the only things keeping MIB or whatever MIB might be trying to release from escaping. By killing Jacob, MIB has marked one thing off his list, now he is slowly manipulating the candidates until he can move into phase three.
Jacob and his Candidates
Where did Jacob's candidates come from? Well my previous post gives a good guess as to how they were chosen.
In the lighthouse Jack and Hurley visited there was a giant mirror with a 360 degree dial. The names of every candidate had been listed on this dial. So I am guessing there was originally 360 candidates.
Jacob has been bringing his candidates to the Island in groups since the beginning of time. Some of the groups were the Black Rock, The Dharma Initiative, Rousseau's Team, and Oceanic 815.
However, not everyone in the groups happened to be a candidate. They were just innocent bystanders who were quickly killed off. Those remaining on the candidate list couldn't be killed by their own hands, (Michael and Jack), or by non-candidates, or by natural causes, or by the world around them. The only way to be killed is by another candidate. This is displayed in the cases of Shannon, Anna Lucia, etc.
As the groups slowly dwindled down a few would be saved (Alpert, Ben, Ethan, Rousseau). Either they were the remaining candidates in their groups or they were chosen to be part of The Others. Richard was the first to be saved and formed The Others.
Once Jacob's candidates arrived on the Island he allowed for them to make their own decisions. Whoever was supposed to take over for him had to survive on their own. It is a game of last man standing.
Also, Jacob is trying to prove a point to MIB. That people know the difference between right and wrong without having to be told so.
MIB on the other hand doesn't believe this is the case. He would scan the candidates in each group to see if their pasts might provide insight as to whether they could be convinced to kill Jacob.
He thought he could convince Richard but to no avail. When he scanned Ben he knew exactly what strings to pull on to make him do it. That is why we find out later through Miles that Jacob was surprised Ben killed him. Jacob believed his candidates would make the right decisions, but this was not the case.
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