2" Brown Wood Tau Cross, attached to a 32" Brown cord, w/clasp.

The Tau Cross, is a simple cross, based on the Greek Τ, which is pronounce taw. In Hebrew the
letter is pronounced the same but written as x. It predates the cross of the crucifixion, and for this reason it is also called the Old Testament cross.

It is a type of the cross of the Crucifixion. In Ezekiel, an angel,
traditionally believed to be St. Gabriel, is instructed by God to go
and mark the foreheads of the faithful with the Tau symbol. Other
angels are then instructed to “go ye after him through the city, and
strike: let not your eyes spare, nor be ye moved with pity. Utterly
destroy old and young, maidens, children and women: but upon
whomsoever you shall see Thau, kill him not, and begin ye at my
sanctuary.” (Ezekiel 9:5-6). So in Ezekiel, those marked with the Tau
were saved from this destruction – their lives were spared. In the
Passion, the crucifix became the symbol of Christ’s sacrifice, which
brought eternal salvation. And so yet another name for the Tau Cross
is the Anticipatory Cross.

In 1215, at the Fourth Lateran Council, Pope Innocent referenced the
Tau cross and the passage from Ezekiel. It is widely believed that St.
Francis of Assisi was present at the Council and that this is when he
wholeheartedly embraced the Tau cross as his symbol. Francis used it
in his writings, painted it on walls and doors where he stayed, and
even used it as his signature. St. Francis would also stretch out his
arms, to show his friars that their habit was also the Tau Cross. He
instructed them to not only let that serve as a reminder, but also as
an active symbol for them to be a walking crucifix in their lives.

Due to St. Francis’s love for the Tau Cross, it became associated with
the Franciscan Order. It is adopted and used or worn by many followers
of St. Francis. Even for those unfamiliar with the details of St. Francis’s life, the
Franciscan Order is what comes to mind when most people see the Tau
Cross.