At the beginning of the New Testament of the Bible are the four gospels which tell the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Matthew, Mark and Luke relate their stories in a similar way, but John differs in that his main purpose in writing is to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing in him people may have everlasting life. Hence John is known as John the Evangelist.
At the west end of Beverley Minster are two large wooden doors carved in the early 18th century by a York wood carver named William Thornton.
On the doors are figures of the four gospel writers Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Beneath the figures are their symbols – an angel, a lion, a bull and an eagle. Between the symbols and the figures are four carvings representing the different seasons of the year.
