The Hamsa (also known as Khamsa) is a hand shaped amulet used for protection by both Jewish and Muslim people. Its name comes from a Semitic root and literally means "five". The Hamsa is usually shaped in the form of a symmetrical hand, with thumbs on both side, and not in the anatomically correct way. Though it is widely used by both Jewish and Muslim people, its origins pre-dates both religions and is attributed to the goddess Tanit who was a Phoenician lunar goddess, worshiped as the patron goddess at Carthage.