theophanya

Theophanya is a less common spelling variant of the term theophany (also rendered theophania), a concept in religious studies describing a visible manifestation of a deity to humans. The word derives from the Greek theos (God) and phainō (to appear or to show). In Jewish and Christian theology, a theophany is an event in which God makes a tangible revelation to people, often accompanied by signs, voices, or wonders.

In the Hebrew Bible, notable theophanies include the appearance of God to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3) and the revelation at Mount Sinai (Exodus 19–20). In Jewish tradition, theophanies underscore divine involvement in history. In Christian thought, theophanies include the visible manifestations associated with biblical events as well as post-biblical theophanic accounts, such as the baptism of Jesus and the Transfiguration, where the divine presence is disclosed to observers.

In Eastern Christian theology, the term theophania or Epiphany refers also to a major feast celebrating the manifestation of God in Jesus Christ, particularly his baptism, traditionally observed on January 6 (Julian calendar) or January 19 (Gregorian calendar) with rites such as the Great Blessing of Waters. The feast emphasizes the revelation of the Holy Trinity and the sanctification of waters for believers.

The term is widely used in scholarly literature on biblical religion, patristics, and liturgy. Variants of the spelling include theophany and theophania; the form theophanya appears rarely in English-language texts, typically as a transliteration variant or transcription error.