The Monastery of St. Theodosius is located east of Beit Sahour, on the road to Wadi An-Nar. According to tradition, it is the resting place of the Magi or Three Kings after their visit to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem and their offering of gifts to him. The current monastery was built on the ruins of an ancient monastery founded by St. Theodosius in 465 AD. The founder died in 520 AD and was buried in a cave within the monastery. The monastery reached the peak of its prosperity between the 5th and 7th centuries, when it housed 4 churches and 700 monks and nuns, in addition to 2,500 others. This era was characterized by a spirit of piety, obedience, and asceticism.
The monastery experienced a revival in the 12th century before being abandoned during the Frankish period. It then became a refuge for the local "Ibn Abeed" tribe, who gave it its current name. The present-day monastery was rebuilt in 1896 and completed in 1952.