page_title: Theophany
hierarchical_section_title: Theophany
caption_attribution_description: Death of Semele
context_page_description: Theophany is the appearance of a deity to a human.
  This term has been used to refer to appearances of the gods in the ancient Greek and Near Eastern religions. While the Iliad is the earliest source for descriptions of theophanies in the classical tradition/era, probably the earliest description of a theophany is in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  The term theophany has acquired a specific usage for Christians and Jews with respect to the Bible: it refers to the manifestation of the Abrahamic God to people; the sensible sign by which his presence is revealed. Only a small number of theophanies are found in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament.
context_section_description: Theophany (from Ancient Greek (ἡ) θεοφάνεια theophaneia, meaning "appearance of god") is the appearance of a deity to a human.
  This term has been used to refer to appearances of the gods in the ancient Greek and Near Eastern religions. While the Iliad is the earliest source for descriptions of theophanies in the classical tradition/era (and they occur throughout Greek mythology), probably the earliest description of a theophany is in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
  The term theophany has acquired a specific usage for Christians and Jews with respect to the Bible: it refers to the manifestation of the Abrahamic God to people; the sensible sign by which his presence is revealed. Only a small number of theophanies are found in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament.
caption: Peter Paul Rubens' Death of Semele, caused by the theophany of Zeus without a mortal disguise
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