iPhone in the 1882 painting

The 19th-century painting sparked theories about time travel after many thought it depicted an iPhone.

The engraving "The Betrothal of Burns and Highland Mary", completed around 1882 by R. Josie and James Archer, depicts the world-famous Scottish poet Robert Burns and his beloved Mary Campbell declaring their love for each other. This is not the only picture showing this historical moment.

After a rather long journey of the most ardent mutual affection, the characters of this engraving met by agreement, on the second Sunday in May, in a secluded place off the Coast of Ayr, where they spent the day, including saying goodbye, before she had to go to the Western Highlands to settle matters. It is known that Burns wrote verses in his Bible (two verses), signed them and imprinted his Masonic sign.

But back to the picture. It shows a couple standing over the bank of the Er River and looking at each other, both holding onto a dark rectangle with rounded corners, reminiscent of an early iPhone.

The painting made art fanatics think, and some wondered if the Scottish national poet had secret abilities to travel through time, given that the image is older than the famous smartphone by as much as 125 years.

However, if the painting has convinced you of time travel, there may be a simple explanation for the mysterious object.

Burns and his beloved, as you know, met to announce their plans to get married on a river in the western part of Scotland in 1786 and celebrated this event with an ancient Scottish tradition - to exchange Bibles over a running stream.

Thus, it turns out that the mysterious black rectangle is actually a religious text, and not a bizarre hint of the future.