LOS ANGELES, CA.- The four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, among the most well-known texts in the Bible, offer powerful accounts of the life of Christ and form the basis of the religion that his disciples founded. Drawing primarily from the Getty Museum’s permanent collection, “In the Beginning Was the Word”: Medieval Gospel Illumination, on display August 30–November 27th, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Getty Center, examines the decoration associated with the Gospels, including portraits of the four Evangelists, and explores the varied approaches to illustrating the life of Christ. Spreading the teachings of the Gospels was an important feature of early Christianity and, as a result, the Gospels were quickly translated from Greek into the many spoken languages of the world.