what is an ankh?

Answer 1

Egyptian cross

Answer 2

An ankh is similar to a cross except the top is a loop. It is the symbol for life - both eternal and physical.

Here is a link with pictures and a little bit more in depth description. I just got a tattoo of an ankh so I did some research on it. Hope this helped

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh.htm

Answer 3

The ankh is the ancient Egyptian hieroglyph for “life.” It looks like a plus sign with a pointy loop at the top. It is used in phrases, such as “di ankh,” which means “given life.” It is used in ancient Egyptian art as well, and often the Deities will be holding ankhs. People often wear the ankh as a symbol for protection and life.

Answer 4

The ankh seems at least to be an evolved form of, or associated with the Egyptian glyph for magical protection, sa. However, what the sign itself represents is often disputed. For example, Sir Alan Gardiner thought that it showed a sandal strap with the loop at the top forming the strap, but if so, the symbolism is obscure and so his theory has found little real favor early on. However, this interpretation seems to have received some acceptance among modern writers. It would seem that the ancient Egyptians called that part of the sandal 'nkh (exact pronunciation unknown). Because this word was composed of the same consonants as the word "life", the sign to represent that particular part of the sandal, was also used to write the word "life".

Answer 5

The ankh is the symbol the Egyptians use to signfiy eternal life. It looks like the Christian cross, with a loop at the top.

The only reason for an ancient Christian to not display an ankh would be to identify his or her status as a Christian.
In today's world, we are above like kind of generalization. I am a devout Christian, and would have no problem wearing an ankh to signify eternal life, and display the true nature of a Christian - one who is commanded to love and forgive all. To deny such is not the act of a Christian.

Answer 6

The Ankh (aka the crux aitsata, or the 'ansate' or 'handled cross') was sacred to the ancient Egyptians (this is actually the land of Ancient Kemet - "the land of the blacks" - which the Greeks later renamed Egypt) and is known as the original cross.

This symbol stands for life or living, and forms part of the Egyptian words such as 'health' and 'happiness.' (This is why it's often referred to as the Key of Life which would unlock the gates of death, aka the cross of life.) It is linked with the Egyptian God Osiris and the Goddess Isis (the eternal mother and High Priestess who carries the Ankh in Her hand).

Answer 7

The ankh (pronounced 'ahnk', symbol ☥) was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that stood for the word ʿnḫ, which means life. Egyptian gods may carry it by the loop, or bear one in each hand crossed over their breast. Latinists interpreted the symbol as a crux ansata, "cross with a handle".

What it was intended to represent remains a mystery to Egyptologists, and no single hypothesis has yet been widely accepted.

Answer 8

Ankh is the ancient egyptian symbol for life. It means eye in many languages. It looks like a cross, except the top part is subtituted with a loop. It is supposed to be one of the most sacred symbols.

Answer 9

The ankh is the scepter of lower Egypt. It represents the flooding of the Nile and hence its association with Life. In the modern world this is it meaning. The other symbol seen with it is the flail (a small whip-like object) used to harvest grain (wheat). Now a symbol of slavery. Both were carried by the Later Pharaohs as a symbol of the unified rule of Lower and Upper Egypt.

Answer 10

The ankh (pronounced 'ahnk') was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that stood for the word ʿnḫ, which means life. Egyptian gods may carry it by the loop, or bear one in each hand crossed over their breast. Latinists interpreted the symbol as a crux ansata, "cross with a handle".

Answer 11

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyph signifying "life," a cross surmounted by a loop and known in Latin as a crux ansata (ansate, or handle-shaped, cross). It is found in ancient tomb inscriptions, including those of the king Tutankhamen, and gods and pharaohs are often depicted holding it. The ankh forms part of hieroglyphs for such concepts as health and happiness. The form of the symbol suggests perhaps a sandal strap as its original meaning, though it has been seen as representing a magical knot. As a cross, it has been extensively used in the symbolism of the Coptic Christian church