The Prophet Hen of Leeds
The Prophet Hen of Leeds was a doomsday hoax that took place in England involving the Second Coming of Christ in 1806.
History
In Leeds, England, in 1806 a hen began laying eggs with the phrase "Christ is coming" on each one.[1] Eventually it was discovered to be a hoax. The owner, Mary Bateman, had written on the eggs in acid which etched the eggs. She then reinserted the eggs into the hen's oviduct.[2][3]
References
- ^ "10 failed doomsday predictions". Retrieved 2009-11-12.
History has countless examples of people who have proclaimed that the return of Jesus Christ is imminent, but perhaps there has never been a stranger messenger than a hen in the English town of Leeds in 1806. It seems that a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase "Christ is coming" was written. As news of this miracle spread, many people became convinced that doomsday was at hand — until a curious local actually watched the hen laying one of the prophetic eggs and discovered someone had hatched a hoax.
- ^ Charles Mackay (1980). Extraordinary popular delusions & the madness of crowds. Random House. ISBN 0-517-88433-X.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Strandberg, Todd; last, Terry (2003). Are You Rapture Ready. New York City: Dutton. pp. 35–45.
{{cite book}}: Text "James" ignored (help)
 | This poultry article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
  | This article related to the history of England is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Christianity-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |