Thousands sign petition to drink red juice from bottom of black sarcophagus

Updated

A mysterious black sarcophagus was pried open in Alexandria, Egypt on Thursday amid intense social media debate over whether opening the vessel would unleash an ancient curse on the Earth.

While the jury is still out on any potential plagues, there has been at least one observable — and rather strange — side effect from the sarcophagus' opening. Namely, a petition signed by nearly 20,000 people who wish to drink the mysterious liquid discovered inside the tomb.

Photos of the gruesome scene found inside the sarcophagus spread quickly online after archaeologists pried open the 30-ton vessel, revealing three decomposed bodies floating in an unidentified red juice. Netizens around the world immediately began speculating about what the substance could be, with many jumping to the outlandish conclusion that the liquid might possess magical healing powers.

Photos of the sarcophagus:

The wild theory went so viral it spawned a change.org petition entitled "let the people drink the red liquid from the dark sarcophagus."

"We need to drink the red liquid from the cursed dark sarcophagus in the form of some sort of carbonated energy drink so we can assume its powers and finally die," petition founder Innes McKendrick wrote on the site.

At the time of publication, the petition had accrued 19,013 signatures out of its 25,000 goal.

In light of the petition's growing support, the Egyptian Antiquities Minister spoke out to assure the public that the liquid is not "juice for mummies that contains an elixir of life" — it's just sewage water that managed to leak into the ancient tomb through a small crack in the vessel's side.

The three mummies will reportedly be transported to the Alexandria National Museum, while the coffin will be taken to a military museum. The fate of the sarcophajuice remains to be determined.

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