Bible Dictionaries
Epiphany
Holman Bible Dictionary
The term “epiphany” comes from a Greek word which means “appearance” or “manifestation.” In Western Christianity the festival of Epiphany, observed on the sixth of January, celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, the coming of the Magi to see the child Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12 ). The twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany have often been called the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” In much of Eastern Christianity, Epiphany is a celebration of the baptism of Jesus, a recognition of His manifestation to humanity as the Son of God (Mark 1:9-11 ). In the early centuries, before the observance of Christmas, Epiphany celebrated both the birth of Jesus and His baptism. See Church Year .
Fred A. Grissom
Copyright Statement
These dictionary topics are from the Holman Bible Dictionary, published by Broadman & Holman, 1991. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Broadman & Holman.
Bibliography Information
Butler, Trent C. Editor. Entry for 'Epiphany'. Holman Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/hbd/e/epiphany.html. 1991.