Photo: Orthodox Jewish plane passenger covered in plastic
Apr 12, 2013, 2:17 PM | Updated: 3:11 pm
(Photo courtesy of Reddit user FinalSay)
Reddit user FinalSay posted a photo of an unusual-looking airplane passenger that has gone viral and taught us about a little-known travel practice: using plastic to protect purity.
The Daily Mail explained that the man, appearing to be an Orthodox Jew, might be Kohein, a descendant of a group of priests in ancient Israel.
According to other articles, Kohanim men must not be in contact with the dead. Since they can never know if they are flying over a cemetery, some have taken to wrapping themselves in plastic during plane rides to avoid contracting impurities.