Theophany

Theophany (from Ancient Greek (ἡ) θεοφάνεια theophaneia, meaning "appearance of a god") refers to the appearance of a deity to a human or other being.

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.