[6] The young emperor was able to make his way back up north where he met with the Portuguese survivors of Wofla and his mother Queen Seble Wongel at the "Mountain of the Jews", which Whiteway identifies as Amba Sel.

They soon discovered that Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi was camped near the shores of Lake Tana and met him at the Battle of Wayna Daga on 21 February 1543, defeating and killing the Imam.

While some presented themselves to Gelawdewos expecting to be pardoned, only to be executed, to many others he granted his safe conduct, according to Miguel de Castanhoso, "for there were so many [who had joined Imam Ahmad] that had he ordered all to be killed, he would have remained alone.

"[8] Following his victory at Wayna Daga, Gelawdewos had to deal with João Bermudes, a Portuguese priest whom his father had sent as his ambassador to secure help from Portugal.

According to Richard Pankhurst, Gelawdewos' Confession helped his fellow Ethiopian Christians to remain "steadfast in their adherence to Sabbath observance, circumcision, and the prohibition against pork and other 'unclean' foods.

"[9] According to the Spanish Jesuit Pedro Páez, Gelawdewos' made his seat in Wej, where he built his capital on the plains near a mountain called Zef Bar.

The Emperor then ordered Fanu’el to advance "into the country towards Zayla" where he reportedly killed two prominent Muslim leaders, however Nur ibn Mujahid was able to escape.

"Early in the engagement Galawdéwos was hit by a bullet, but continued to fight until surrounded by a score of Harari cavalry, who struck him fatally to the ground with their spears," according to Pankhurst.

[19][20] Galawdewos was surrounded by about twenty horsemen who pierced his loin with a lance[21] Emir Nur had the Emperor's head sent to the country of Sa'ad ad-Din II, then rode off to plunder Ethiopian territory before returning home.

[22] The explorer Richard Francis Burton tells a slightly different account, adding that Gelawdewos had been supervising the restoration of Debre Werq when he received a message from Emir Nur challenging him to combat.

When the Emperor met the Emir, a priest warned that the angel Gabriel had told him Gelawdewos would needlessly risk his life—which caused most of the Ethiopian army to flee.