Page 1 of 2
The ankh was the Egyptian hieroglyphic character that read "eternal life", a triliteral sign for the consonants '-n-h. Egyptian gods are often portrayed carrying it by its loop, or bearing one in each hand, arms crossed over. It is by Egyptologists called the symbol of life It is also called the 'handled cross,' or crux ansata. It represents the male triad and the female unit, under a decent form. There are few symbols more commonly met with in Egyptian art than this. In some remarkable sculptures, where the sun's rays are represented as terminating in hands, the offerings which these bring are many a crux ansata, emblematic of the truth that a fruitful union is a gift from the deity. [Wikipedia]
