From hinting at a Donald Trump presidency to anticipating the rise of smart watches, it has become common to see claims of the Simpsons predicting historic events in recent years.
But in Ancient Egypt it seems that historic events predicted The Simpsons – Well, kind of.
Archaeologists in Egypt have discovered a 3000-year-old tomb in an ancient cemetery in the Egyptian city of Minya, on the western bank of the Nile. Such a discovery is a fascinating find on its own but the picture on the front of the tomb added an extra layer of shock as it appeared to depict the Simpsons matriarch Marge.
The painting features a woman with yellow-coloured skin, a blue crown and a green outfit and whilst it is unlikely that the Ancient Egyptians foretold the successful American sitcom to air three millennium later, the resemblance is uncanny.
The picture has gone viral on social media, with users on Reddit struggling to contain their amazement at the likeness.
One user said: “Oh my f***ing God it’s Marge Simpson.”
Another user added: “The only documented time in history where The Simpsons didn’t do it first.”
Over the last decade, a whole range of global events are said to have been predicted in preceding episodes of The Simpsons, although most occurrences are either exaggerated or use altered images.
In one episode in 2001, Lisa Simpson did hint at a future Donald Trump presidency with a different episode seeing Homer Simpson come down an escalator behind the property magnate in a similar fashion to how he entered the press conference where he announced his first bid to become president.
But other occurrences such as the collapse of the Baltimore bridge or the fire at the Notre Dame Cathedral have been proven to have been doctored.
As fun as the Marge Simpson references are, the truth, as usual, is much more mundane.
In reality, the painting depicts the daughter of a high priest in El-Ashmunein called Tadi Ist rather than the wife of Springfield’s clumsiest nuclear power plant employee.
The cemetery reportedly dates back to the “New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty (circa 1186-1069 B.C.),” with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities adding in a statement that there were also ornaments, amulets and coffins that have been discovered.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities Secretary General Mostafa Waziry told The Egyptian Gazette: “It is a rare and important scene. Every scene of the hour has its shape.”