Zora was the wife of Anteus and mother of Ikus. She made her only appearance in the episode Altared States. She is a parallel of the Biblical Sarah, mother of Issac and wife of Abraham, with a few minor differences.
In "Altared States"[]
We first meet Zora in the opening scenes of Altared States. She is seen arguing with her son Ikus, telling him to get his cloak while she packs food for him. Ikus doesn't want to believe whatever it is his mother is telling him but she insists that he must leave until it is safe for him to return. She hugs him when he says he doesn't understand, saying she doesn't either, but tells him he should go before his father gets home. She sends him out the door when she hears his father calling, as well as tells him to find a place and hide and she will find him when it is safe. Zora is not seen again until Xena comes upon her secretly worshipping the pagan goddess Hestia, which she has not done for many years. Zora has a conversation with Xena at length about her husband, while Xena questions what kind of god would ask a man to give up his own child.
Differences between Biblical account and Episode[]
The episode is based on the Biblical account of the ram in the bush. However, there are some differences:
- Zora appears to be Anteus' only wife. In the biblical story, Sarah was Abraham's true wife, but he had a lesser wife, Sarah's servant girl, Hagar.
- In the biblical account, Sarah and Hagar had a very jealous and bitter relationship. After the birth of her son, Issac, Sarah sent Hagar into exile. In this version of the story, Hagar doesn't appear to have a counterpart, making Mael (the story's version of Hagar's son Ishmael) also a son of Zora. The feud that was biblically portrayed as being between Hagar and Sarah is now transferred to Zora's two sons, Ikus and Mael.
- Although her husband follows the One God, Zora still has a secret altar to the pagan goddess Hestia. Sarah never returned to pagan worship.