Throughout his reign John was beset with problems on his borders. At the time that the Italians, as their contribution to the scramble for Africa, occupied Massawa and the coastal strip his western frontier was overrun by an invasion of Mahdists from the Sudan. These fanatical Muslim dervishes penetrated nearly as far as Debra Tabor, burning much of Gondar on the way, destroying Christian and Jewish villages and converting the inhabitants to Islam by the edge of the sword. John believed this threat to be even greater than the arrival of the Italians and planned to dispose of the dervishes first. A great battle was fought at Metemma in 1889 which halted the Muslim advance but caused the death of the emperor.

Such conditions were not conducive to further contacts between the Falashas and their new-found friends abroad. The early interest generated by Halevy's mission was allowed to subside and other preoccupations, especially the worsening condition of Jews in eastern Europe, engaged the attention of Jewish leaders. Halevy had not only brought the plight of the forgotten Falasha tribe to the attention of the western world but he had also emphasised, like Luzzatto, the importance of a study of its religion, language and customs for a fuller understanding of the early history of both Judaism and Christianity. If his report did not produce the results for which he ardently hoped his enthusiasm succeeded in firing the imagination of one of his ablest pupils. Jacques Faitlovitch came forward to take up the cause initiated by his master and to prove that his labours had not been in vain.

(1) Ethiopian Jews, p. 60.