Theophany as Type Scene

A close examination of biblical theophany narratives reveals the existence of a fixed set of elements. The use of the rubric "theophany narrative" allows for a better understanding of the literary dynamics of these texts than the form-critical model, which is usually applied to these stories. As a result, texts that have been traditionally grouped according to a variety of genres—call narratives, annunciation stories, dream reports—are here treated together. This study identifies the following distinct stages in these narratives: (1) separation from society; (2) visual and verbal encounter with the divine; (3) human response to the encounter, ranging from fear to skepticism; and (4) externalization of the experience. Insofar as each of these stages displays a range of literary strategies that highlight the unique concerns of the particular narrative, a type-scene model proves to be most useful as an interpretive key for these texts.