▁Le iden ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁He ▁obtained ▁a ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁on ▁a ▁th esis ▁about ▁Indian ▁influ ences ▁on ▁early ▁Christian ▁stories , ▁for ▁which ▁W . C . ▁van ▁Man en ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁th esis ▁ad visor . ▁After ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁minister ▁in ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Re formed ▁Church , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁professor ▁in ▁New ▁Testament ▁ex eg esis ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Amsterdam ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁After ▁his ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁he ▁continued ▁teaching ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁U tre cht ▁until ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 . ▁ ▁Work ▁ ▁Berg h ▁van ▁E ys ing a ▁disput ed ▁the ▁author ship ▁of ▁the ▁Paul ine ▁ep ist les . ▁Ref uting ▁the ▁authentic ity ▁of ▁the ▁ep ist le ▁of ▁Clement ▁and ▁of ▁Ign ati us ▁of ▁Ant io ch , ▁he ▁concluded ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁evidence ▁for ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁Paul ines ▁before ▁Mar cion . ▁He ▁also ▁listed ▁internal ▁evidence ▁for ▁these ▁ep ist les ▁being ▁pse ude p ig raph s ▁from ▁Mar cion ite ▁circles . ▁In ▁several ▁places , ▁the ▁writing ▁does ▁not ▁fit ▁with ▁a ▁Jewish ▁background ▁of ▁the ▁author . ▁On ▁these ▁matters ▁he ▁disag re ed ▁with ▁Adolf ▁von ▁H arn ack . ▁Un like ▁his ▁teacher ▁Van ▁Man en ▁who ▁accepted ▁the ▁historic ity ▁of ▁Jesus , ▁Van