From Lostpedia

Ben's secret room

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First seen

"The Shape of Things to Come"

Last seen

"Dead Is Dead"

Constructed by

Pre-DHARMA

Controlled by

Unknown

Connection

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Number

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Purpose

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Status

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Discovered by

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DHARMA Initiative Stations
The Hydra • The Arrow • The Swan
The Flame • The Pearl • The Orchid
The Staff • The Tempest
The Looking Glass • The Lamp Post

The Temple

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Ben's secret room is an ancient chamber in Ben's house at the Barracks. It is accessed through a false wall in a hidden closet. Its door and walls are covered with hieroglyphs, and one can summon the Monster by draining a pool of water inside.

The room

The secret closet that provides access to the room can be found behind a bookcase. Inside, a wall panel behind a rack of clothing must be moved to reveal a much older door covered in hieroglyphs. Beyond this door is a small tunnel that leads to a pool of stagnant, brown water. The Monster can be summoned by pulling a plug at the bottom of the pool, allowing the water to escape through a drain.

When Keamy and his mercenaries attacked the Barracks, Ben disappeared into the secret room, later emerging covered in dirt. His activities inside were not shown at this time. Shortly afterward, the Monster appeared and attacked Keamy and the mercenaries. ("The Shape of Things to Come")

The inside of Ben's secret room

Several years later, Ben returned to the Island and went to his house to summon the Monster so he could be "judged". He again went into the chamber, and its contents were finally shown. After draining the pool of water, he spoke into the drain, saying that he would be waiting outside. However, only Jacob's Nemesis (disguised as Locke) came out of the bushes -- not the expected cloud of black smoke. The Nemesis led Ben to the Temple to find it instead. ("Dead Is Dead")

It is highly likely this room is connected somehow to the Tunnels beneath the Barracks.

Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphs on Ben's door ("The Shape of Things to Come")

Image from Season 4 DVD

Please Note - All descriptions of symbols and their meanings are best-guess attempts until official confirmation from the producers of LOST.

There are 8 hieroglyphs carved onto the secret door, although there are only 7 in the Season 4 DVD extra "Mysterious Egyptian Influences".

The Signs

According to Gardiner's Sign List [1], the symbols are:

	A26	Man with out-stretched arm
	S29	Folded cloth
	M17	Blooming Reed
	N35	Water
	V18	Amulet
	A24	Man with weapon
	W24	Pot
	Aa27	Unclassified, but looks like a Cross

Translation

The first line translates as "summon". According to one rough interpretation, they read, "to summon protection". The second line, as indicated, could mean "protection". This interpretation makes sense in the context of the episode.

Unanswered questions

For fan theories about these unanswered questions, see: Ben's secret room/Theories

• Who built the door, and when?
• Did the DHARMA Initiative intentionally build a house on top of this older structure, and if so, why?

External links

• Dispatches from the Island - Jorge Garcia's blog - May 8, 2008 - entry showing the secret door set

The Monster Appearances "Pilot, Part 1" • "Walkabout" • "Arzt and Crafts" • "Hearts and Minds" • "Exodus, Part 1" • "Exodus, Part 2" • "Exodus, Part 3" • "The 23rd Psalm" • "The Cost of Living" • "Exposé" • "Left Behind" • "The Shape of Things to Come" • "This Place Is Death" • "Namaste" • "Dead Is Dead" • "The Incident, Parts 1 & 2" • "LA X, Parts 1 & 2" Associated Characters Alex • Benjamin Linus • Danielle Rousseau • Eko • Frank Lapidus • Jacob • Jin-Soo Kwon • Jacob • John Locke • Juliet Burke • Kate Austen • Mayhew • Montand • Nadine • Nikki Fernandez • Robert • Seth Norris • Sun-Hwa Kwon • Yemi Items and Locations The Barracks • Ben's secret room • Blast Door Map • Dark Territory • Hieroglyphs • The Island • Medusa Spider • Sonar Fence • The Temple See Also: Supporting Characters and Mysteries