The Monastery of St. Paul has four churches, the most important of which is the Church of St. Paul, built in the cave where St. Paul is said to have lived for 90 years. Man;- of the frescos date from the 4th and 7th centuries. Ostrich eggs, symboli2ing the Resurrection, hang from the roof. Above the church is the fortress where the monks retreated upon the Bedouin attack. A secret canal from the spring ensured their survival during long sieges.