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A black-and-white photo shared on social media in September 2024 sparked widespread intrigue, with some claiming it showed a demon posing with a family. The vintage-style image featured two men, two children, and a disturbing, devilish figure standing outside a house. As this eerie photo circulated, platforms like Threads, Reddit, and X saw a flurry of speculation and conspiracy theories.
Posts on social media suggested outlandish connections to famous families and historical figures. Some users claimed the picture depicted the “founders of Israel,” while others linked it to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “long-lost family.” The Rothschilds, a family often targeted by conspiracy theories, were also named as the possible subjects of this bizarre image. One user wrote, “Holy s*** is this real?”—a question that echoed the thoughts of many who stumbled upon the picture.
The post quickly gained traction, with one X post accumulating over 5.1 million views by late September. As the image spread, so did curiosity and confusion about its origins. However, it didn’t take long for fact-checkers to step in. Snopes, a fact-checking site, investigated the authenticity of the image and concluded it was not real, rating it as fake.
Founders of Israel. pic.twitter.com/vVG6B0RtqT
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) September 22, 2024
The telltale signs were clear to experts: the facial features of the children were unusually distorted, especially their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. The collars of the men were also oddly warped. Such visual glitches are typical of images produced by artificial intelligence (AI). Further analysis from AI-detection platforms, including Maybe AI and Hive Moderation, confirmed that the picture was highly likely to be AI-generated.
In fact, the first known version of this image appeared months earlier, on Tumblr in May 2023, where it was shared alongside other unmistakably AI-generated content. Although this Tumblr post could not be definitively identified as the original source, it suggested the image had been floating around the internet for some time before gaining viral status in September.
Interestingly, this demonic photo was not new to internet satire. In the past, similar versions of the image had been used to humorously “depict” various well-known families and political groups. These included the British royal family, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s family, and the family of British Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg. Even American far-right activist Laura Loomer and factions of the British Conservative Party became targets of playful internet jabs using the same image.
One group mentioned in connection with the photo—the Rothschild family—has long been a focal point for conspiracy theories. For centuries, this European banking dynasty has been falsely linked to secretive organizations such as the Illuminati and the New World Order. These theories claim the Rothschilds have manipulated governments, sparked wars for personal profit, and even funded the Holocaust. The persistence of these baseless rumors dates back as far as the 18th century, showing the deep roots of antisemitic narratives targeting the family.
Snopes has debunked many false claims involving the Rothschilds over the years, including accusations about their wealth, supposed influence over world events, and allegations that they are plotting a third world war. This latest viral image was just another chapter in a long history of misinformation surrounding the family.
In conclusion, while the mysterious black-and-white image may have stirred the imaginations of social media users and fueled conspiracy theories, the truth is far less exciting. It serves as a reminder of the growing influence of AI in creating deceptive content and the importance of verifying information before spreading it further.
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