Theophany

Theophany (Ancient Greek: (ἡ) θεοφάνεια, romanized: theophaneia, lit. 'appearance of a deity') is an encounter with a deity, in which it manifests in an observable and tangible form. Where the deity does not take tangible form (outward manifestation), the broader term used for inward manifestation is divine revelation or divine inspiration. Where the god indwells in a human person, the terms used are divine incarnation, an avatar, or, poetically, the personification of that deity. Theophanies, tangible appearances of a god, are distinguished from epiphanies, which are powerful internal changes in outlook caused by a theophany or other divine revelation.

Traditionally the term "theophany" was used to refer to appearances of the gods in ancient Greek and in Near Eastern religions. While the Iliad is the earliest source for descriptions of theophanies in classical antiquity (which occur throughout Greek mythology), the earliest description appears in the Epic of Gilgamesh.