According to the 16th century Gadl (or Vita) of his pupil, Ananya, Ewostatewos was born in the Tsira` north east of Mekelle, part of Enderta province, now located with in Enderta wereda, near where he would later found the monastery of Debre Tserabi.
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Around 1280, while still young, he was sent to live with his uncle Abba Daniel (monastically known as Zekaryas), the abbot of Debre Maryam on mount Qorqor in Gar'alta a district of Enderta province .