Cross of Tau

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The Cross of Tau; also called the Tau Cross, St. Anthony's Cross, the Old Testament Cross, the Anticipatory Cross, the Cross Commissee, the Egyptian Cross, the Advent Cross, or the Crux Commissa; is a Christian symbol, and one of the very oldest forms of the cross. The Greek letter Tau is a symbol used from antiquity, and describes what this particular cross looks like. St. Anthony and St. Matthew are both said to have died upon a Tau cross, and the symbol is sometimes used to identify these two martyrs. It is also possible that Christ died on a Tau cross, although the stem at the top of the cross has become the modern view, called the Latin cross. The Tau cross is said to be the true form of the cross raised up by Moses in the wilderness, and can be viewed by Christians as a prophecy of Jesus Christ. Hence, this cross is often used during the Advent season.

As with Christianity, other ancient societies who used the "Tau" symbol also evolved its use to represent life, resurrection, reincarnation, and blood sacrifice.