The Possible Explanation for an Odd Airplane Photo That Went Viral This Weekend

(Photo: Reddit/FinalSay)

An alleged photo of a man wrapped in a thick plastic bag like a package went viral on Reddit this weekend, subsequently being picked up by a number of international news outlets, and some believe they have found an explanation.

While it was originally speculated that the man, described as an Orthodox Jew, sealed himself off to prevent touching someone of the opposite sex, others claim it was to act as a barrier in case the plane flew over a cemetery.

"This has nothing to do with women," Reddit user thenewyorkgod wrote. "He is a cohen,' descendant from the high holy priests of the temple and they are not allowed to walk into or fly over a cemetery, which would render them impure."

Users linked to an Israeli news article from Haaretz on the issue, stating El Al airlines had "decided not to allow ultra-Orthodox Jews of priestly descent (kohanim) to seal themselves in plastic bags - normally used to transport cadavers - when flying over the Holon cemetery after take-off."

As a compromise, the airline redirected a number of flights to avoid the cemetery, saying allowing passengers to fly in sealed plastic bags would pose a safety issue.

That hasn't stopped people from trying, though.  In 2002, a man reportedly tried to wrap himself in plastic on a plane to the United Kingdom, and the pilot actually turned the plane around.

It's possible that the photographed man had the same concerns.

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