festation" of Christ), one of the oldest festivals of the Christian Ciuireh, and mentioned as such hj' Cle- ment of Alexandria {^Inmiat. i, 1). Until the time of Chr_vsostom, it opened in tiie Eastern Church the cycle of festivals. It denoted at first the baptism of Christ, which, as Chrj'sostom himself remarks, was, in a high- er sense than his birth, liis real manifestation to men. A special festival of the birth of Christ arose later than the festival of Kjiiiihany, and up to that time the com- memoration of the birtli of Clirist was included in that of Epipiiany. According to the testimony of Clement of Alexandria, it was at first celebrated at Alexandria by tlie Basilidians, but soon it was introduced into the orthodox Church also. Neander thinks that it did not originate with the Basilidians, but that the}' derived it from Jewish Christians in S3'ria and Palestine. The lirst trace of the festival in the Latin Churcli is found in oG(), when, as Ammianus Marcellinus (xxi, 2) men- tions, the emperor Julian took part in a celebration of the festival at Vienne. In the Western Cliurch it came early to denote the manifestation of Christ to the Gen- tiles, with especial reference to his ajipearance to the wise men of the East, who came to adore him and bring him presents (Matt, ii, 1-12). Gradually tlie conmiem- oration of other events in the life of Christ was con- nected with the celebration of Epiphany, as the worlc- ing of the first miracle at the wedding at Cana (hence it was called " bethphania," manifestation in a house), and the feeding of five thousand persons (hence the name " phagiphania"). Prominent, however, in the Latin Church remained the celebration of Epiphany as the manifestation of Christ to the wise men. The tra- dition of the Church venerated the wise men as the ''Three Holy Kings," and the festival itself was com- monl}' called in the Churcli the festival of the Three Kings (J'estum tiium regum, fcsiimi Mar/orinn, fesiuvi stelke). Like other high festivals, Epiphany was cele- brated by a vigil, by the preaching of homilies, by the reception of the Lord's Supper, and by granting liber- ty to slaves. During the Middle Ages a dramatic rep- resentation of the olilation of the wise men was incor- porated into divine worship, and in some countries these performances have maintained themselves until the present century. Peculiar popular amusements also connected themselves with the celebration of the da}' in Roman Catholic countries, and partly exist even at the present day. In the citj' of Rome there is on the festival of Epiphany a great exhibition in the College of the Propaganda, j'oung men from all coun- tries making addresses in their native languages, in order thus to represent the appearance of Christ to all nations. In some Western churches, especiallj' in Af- rica, Epiphany was used as a day of baptism {/lies liimi- num) ; but Pope Leo I was a decided opponent of this custom, calling it irrutionahilem novifaiem (an unrea- sonable novelty). Among the Franks the custom was also known, and Charlemagne mentions it in an epis- tle to the bishop Garibald, but without approving it. Previously Gregoiy II, in 72G, had forbidden to bap- tize except on Easter and Pentecost. In the Greek Church it was customarj' to consecrate the water on this day, and the custom .still prevails in Russia. — Bingham, Oi'if/. Eccl. bk. xx, chap, iv ; Ilcrzog, Real- Kncjlclopiidie, iv, 94 ; AN'ctzer u. 'W'elte, Kirclien-Lex. iii, 283 ; Augusti, llandlmch d. chri.it/. Archt-olofjie, i, 528 ; ii, 47C ; Binterim, Denkiriirdigkeiten d<r christl.-hath. K. vol. V. See Theopiiany. (A. J. S.)
Epiphi ('Ettii/)/, .'? iNlacc. vi, 38), the name of the eleventh month of the Egyptian Vague year, and the Alexandrian or Egyptian Julian year: Copt. s/jS/j ; Arab. apih. Its beginning corresponds witli the 2.")tli of June in the Julian calendar (Ideler, Jlandh.d.Chro- nol. i, 98, 144). In ancient Egyptian it is called " the third month [of] the season of the waters." See Egypt. The name Epiphi-is derived frpm that of the goddess of the month, Apajht (Lepsius, Chrnn. d. yEg. i, 141). The supposed derivation of the Hebrew montli-
name Ahih from Epiphi is discussed in other articles. See Month.
Episcopacy (tTrlrricoTroc, bishop ; iTnaKOTrdv, to suj)€7-intend), the government of bishops in the Church, whether as an order superior to presbyters or not. For the classes, duties, insignia, elections, and juris- diction of bishops, see Bishop. For the controversy as to the exclusive validity of Episcopal orders, see Succession, Apostoeic.\l. We give, in this article, a brief statement of the origin of Episcopacy, and of the theories of Episcopacy maintained in the promi- nent Episcopal churches of Christendom.