English
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ANKH The sign of eternal life in ancient Egypt, the ankh is something of a mystery, for no
one knows what the shape represents. It has been suggested that the ankh symbolizes a key, part of the human anatomy, or, more likely, a sandal strap as seen from above. The hieroglyph means to live, and the ankh was a powerful and protective force in ancient Egypt. Paintings on tomb walls show the gods offering eternal life to the king and again bestowing eternal life upon the mummy by holding an ankh to its face and reciting a magical spell. The ankh is the rarest of ancient Egyptian AMULETS and may have been the property of the gods only, for rarely is a person shown carrying an ankh
Interestingly, the word ankh means hand mirror as well as life. Tutankhamen had a mirror case in the shape of an ankh buried with him in his tomb, a play on words that any Egyptian would have recognized.
