The statue seen when the Black Rock crashes onto the island is Taweret, a figure in Egyptian mythology. She was the goddess of pregnancy, childbirth and fertility, and the symbol she holds in her hand (an ankh) is the Egyptian symbol of life. It is interesting to note that the island is known for its healing properties, and effects on fertility in men, as indicated by Jin being able to impregnate his wife after having been sterile. Taweret was also a protector, thought to restrain evil, which makes sense in light of Jacob's explanation that the Island is there to contain evil.
Co-writer Greggory Nations explains in the DVD audio-commentary that Richard's origin was not random. Nations chose the Canary Islands because: 1) They are islands; 2) They are volcanic islands and 3) because of the legend of the eighth Canary Island (San Borondón) that shows up and disappears. Besides, it was easier for actor Nestor Carbonell to speak Spanish without faking accents, because his Cuban accent can pass for a person from the Canary Islands.
Ab aeterno means "from eternity" in Latin. The phrase is used to mean "since the beginning" or "for long ages."
This episode shows that the historic belief that the Black Rock was lost at sea on her maiden voyage in 1845, as stated by the auctioneer of the ship's log in The Constant (2008), was incorrect, although how the ship came to be under the ownership of the Danish merchant Magnus Hanso by 1867 is not explained in the series. However, the auctioneer stated that the Black Rock initially left England on a trading mission to Siam, but this could have been a cover for its real purpose: slave transport, which had been illegal in England since 1807.
In the ship's cargo hold, when the Man in Black releases Richard from the chains, he says, "It's nice to see you out of those chains". This is exactly what "Locke" (as the Man in Black) says to Richard in LA X: Part 1 (2010), which is how Richard knows that "Locke" is not who he says he is.