Throughout its unprecedented 35-season run, The Simpsons seemingly predicted myriad dubious historical events years before they happened. But the discovery of an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus found last year has some suggesting the classic Fox sitcom has been “hiding in history, as well.”
Redditors saw a similarity between Marge Simpson and a rudimentary funereal illustration of Tadi Ist, daughter of Egyptian high priest El-Ashmunein, etched on the inner lid of her 3,500-year-old coffin.
The drawing depicts a woman with yellow-hued skin wearing a long green gown with blue hair shaped into a sharp rectangle pointing directly out of her scalp. It undoubtedly bears a striking resemblance to the Simpson family matriarch. The Marge Simpson döppelganger is flanked on each side by six high priestesses, signifying Ist’s elevated position in the ancient society.
Supreme Council of Antiquities
But all modern eyes were able to see was the ancient princesses’ relation to Marge. Many pointed out that, while The Simpsons has often proved prescient in predicting historical oddities, this is one thing the show didn’t account for.
“The one historical event that the Simpsons didn't predict. Go figure," Complex _Passion_3889 wrote on Reddit. “Simpsons, not only predicting the future, but hiding in history as well,” poseidon1111 said.
“Proof time-traveling aliens gave a box set of The Simpsons to the ancient Egyptians,” CubonesDeadMom joked.
While The Simpsons didn’t directly predict “Marge Sarcophagus,” as many Redditors took to calling it, the show did once travel back to ancient Egypt.
Aired in 1999, the 18th episode of season 10, “Simpsons Bible Stories” was an anthology episode comprised of three subversive Biblical tales. The middle section features Milhouse (as Moses) and Lisa (as Miriam) working to free their people from the nefarious Principal Skinner (as King Ramses II).
As remarkable as Marge Sarcophagus’ discovery was, some took the artwork itself to task. “Looks like a 4th grader drew this in 20 minutes. Lame,” opined Reddit’s preeminent art critic.
User star11308 explained that Egyptians “created many wonderful reliefs and drawings” but “the standards for funerary paintings in this period were pretty low and were (mass-) produced rather cheaply.”
The sarcophagus was unearthed in early 2023 in Tuna Al-Jabal, by officials with the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) and the government of Minya. Ist’s grave was one of many discovered in a large burial ground filled with “numerous rock-cut tombs with hundreds of archaeological artifacts, stone and wooden coffins with mummies,” explained Mustafa Waziri of the SCA.
“Among the grave goods,” Waziri continued, “were amulets, jewelry, clay, and wood pottery Osirian figurines, belonging to high-ranking officials,” Several of the discoveries, including a “well-preserved scroll” which is “the first complete papyrus ever found in the Griefa area,” will soon be put on display at the Egyptian Museum.
All past seasons of The Simpsons are streaming on Disney+. New episodes are available on Fox and Hulu.
