Ankh Amulet

 Ankh is the Ancient Egyptian symbol for ”life” and since the  beginnings of their written language, Egyptians used this  character in all epochs.  It denotes the verb ”live” and also  the noun ”life”.  The symbolism of the character developed  from that meaning. In religious representations deities often  carry the mysterious object in their hands and hand it over  to the king so that he can extend Ankh, ”the breath of life” to  his countrymen. 

 During the Amarna period under Akhenaten  the rays of the solar disc frequently end in this symbol of  life.  Some kings like Tut-Ankh-Amun even wear the symbol  in their name and, thus, as an expression of its embodiment,  the living image (personfi cation) of Amun. Although ankh was used often and with enthusiasm, it is not  yet clear which physical object the character actually represented.  Some people support the hypothesis that it involves  a sandal strap.

 Others assume that it is more likely a type  of belt which can originally be traced to the ”knot of Isis”   In  any case ankh, as an amulet and a powerful symbol, enjoys  enormous signifi cance as a guarantee of ”eternal life”. In the tomb of Tutankhamun, the ankh can be seen, for  example, on the wooden mirror case in the form of the hieroglyph for ”life”.