Manifestations Of God (Baháʼí Faith)

Theophany () is an encounter with a deity that manifests in an observable and tangible form.. It is often confused with other types of encounters with a deity, but these interactions are not considered theophanies unless the deity reveals itself in a visible form. Traditionally, the term "theophany" was used to refer to appearances of the gods in ancient Greek and Near Eastern religions. While the ''Iliad'' is the earliest source for descriptions of theophanies in classical antiquity, the first description appears in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh''.

In numerous creation stories, a deity or deities speak with many kinds of animals, often prior to the formation of dry land on earth.

Definition and etymology

The term theophany derives from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "appearance of a god", from ( ''theós'' "divinity", and (, "to show" or "to appear"). In classical usage, it referred to visible appearances of deities to humans, especially in mythological contexts. These could be in anthropomorphic form or as other phenomena—light, fire, or cloud—and often served to affirm the deity's favor, deliver a message, or enact divine will. Similarly, in the Hebrew Bible, revelation, or incarnation, which refer to different types of religious experience. If the divine presence is expressed more broadly without being tied to a specific deity, the term hierophany may be preferred.

In ancient religions

Theophany played a prominent role in the mythological and ritual life of many ancient cultures. These manifestations of deities were understood not only as mythic narratives but also as real interventions into the world, often forming the basis of cultic practices, political legitimacy, or sacred geography. In ancient literature, theophanies frequently mark the establishment of divine authority or the commissioning of heroic or prophetic figures.

Mesopotamia

One of the earliest literary examples of a theophany occurs in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', in which dreams and signs from the gods shape the journey of the hero. In Mesopotamian religion, divine appearances were often mediated through symbolic forms rather than direct anthropomorphic encounters. These included dreams, omens, celestial phenomena, or the interpretation of sacrificial entrails (extispicy), which were understood as messages from the gods.

Dreams held a privileged place as vehicles of divine communication. In the ''Epic of Gilgamesh'', both Gilgamesh and Enkidu receive dreams interpreted as divine guidance or warning. Similarly, in the ''Atrahasis'' myth, the god Enki communicates with the hero through a wall-dream to warn of the impending flood.

Sacred statues were also considered theophanic, not merely symbolic. The cult image (''ṣalmu'') of a deity, once ritually enlivened in ceremonies such as the ''mouth-washing ritual'' (''mīs pî''), was believed to embody the living presence of the god. These statues could be carried into battle, consulted for oracles, or housed in temples where their "appearance" through ritual unveiling was part of public theophanic experience.

The gods of Mesopotamia were understood to be simultaneously transcendent and present through their manifestations. Theophanies reinforced divine kingship, the legitimacy of priestly authority, and the city’s connection to the divine order of the cosmos.

Ancient Egypt

In Ancient Egyptian religion, theophanies were deeply integrated into both theology and kingship. Gods could manifest in animal, human, or composite forms, and divine presence was encountered not only in myth but also in ritual, sacred architecture, and royal ideology. The Pharaoh was considered the ''nṯr nfr'' ("perfect god") and the ''son of Re'', functioning as the living manifestation of divine order (''maat'') on earth. Coronation rituals affirmed the king’s divine descent, and temple inscriptions regularly described the king speaking face-to-face with gods or receiving blessings in person. These theophanic encounters, though formulaic, were understood as real events within the cultic framework.

Theophany was also enacted in ritual, especially through cult statues, which served as loci of divine presence. After undergoing a ritual of animation ("opening of the mouth"), these statues were housed in temple sanctuaries and revealed only to priests during daily rituals. In major festivals, however, they were carried in processions and paraded before the public, allowing the god to "appear" to the people.

Deities could also reveal themselves through natural phenomena, especially in myths. The sun god Ra manifested daily in the solar theophany of sunrise and sunset, defeating chaos and reaffirming the world’s order. In myth, gods such as Isis and Horus took human form to intervene in the affairs of mortals, though these stories were told more as divine dramas than as historical events. Overall, Egyptian theophany was less focused on singular, ecstatic visions and more on the structured, ritualized presence of the gods as maintained through temple worship, kingship, and cosmic cycles.

Ancient Greece

In ancient Greek religion, theophanies typically occurred through visions or dreams, either spontaneously or as the result of ritual preparation. Although rare in historical accounts, mythological literature contains numerous examples of gods appearing to mortals in anthropomorphic form. These include Zeus appearing to Semele, Athena guiding Odysseus, or Apollo communicating with seers and prophets.

In historical cult practice, theophanies were reenacted and commemorated in ritual settings. At Delphi, the () was an annual spring festival celebrating the return of Apollo from his winter sojourn in Hyperborea. The climax of the festival involved the ritual unveiling of a sacred image of the god, usually concealed in the inner adyton of the temple.

The Greek concept of (), closely related to theophany, emphasized the sudden and overwhelming appearance of the divine, especially in times of crisis. These manifestations could be experienced as visions, voices, or omens, and were often incorporated into local legends or used to legitimate political decisions. Some theorists, such as Julian Jaynes, have argued that such experiences reflect a now-lost mode of consciousness in which divine agency was perceived as external and directive, particularly in moments of stress or decision.

Ancient Rome

The tradition of divine appearance through dreams or altered consciousness continued into the Hellenistic and Roman periods, where theophanies were increasingly associated with mystery cults and healing sanctuaries, such as those of Asclepius. In these contexts, supplicants would undergo ritual incubation (''enkoimesis''), sleeping within temple precincts in hopes of receiving a healing vision or instruction from the deity. Such theophanies were typically reported as dreams but were believed to be real encounters with the divine.

Roman religion also inherited and formalized the practice of recognizing divine epiphanies in public life. Gods could manifest through omens, natural signs, or the sudden presence of a stranger delivering a divine message. These events were officially interpreted by augurs or priests of the state cults and could influence civic decisions. The reported in Roman historical sources, such as earthquakes, lightning strikes on temples, or spontaneous phenomena involving statues, were often treated as indirect theophanies that required ritual expiation.

In the imperial cult, the line between divinity and humanity was further blurred. Roman emperors, particularly after death, were often venerated as divine or semi-divine beings. Temples to the and institutionalized a form of theophanic presence, particularly during imperial festivals or military triumphs. The appearance of a halo or comet, such as the at Caesar’s funeral games, was interpreted as a visible sign of apotheosis and divine approval.

Theophanic experience in Roman mystery religions—such as the cults of Mithras, Isis, and the Eleusinian Mysteries—often emphasized visionary transformation, secrecy, and personal encounter with a god. Initiates sometimes reported seeing gods directly, especially in post-initiation visions. In this sense, Roman theophanies combined elements of civic ritual, philosophical symbolism, and personal mystical experience.

In Abrahamic traditions

Judaism

In Judaism, theophanies are a central theme of the Tanakh

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