Background
He was born of Protestant parents in 1577 at Tübingen, Württemberg.
legal historian university professor
He was born of Protestant parents in 1577 at Tübingen, Württemberg.
He studied jurisprudence, and in the early 1590s was a close friend of Johannes Kepler. He graduated as Doctor of Law in 1598. And in 1610 became professor of law at Tübingen.
Among his pupils was Johannes Valentinus Andreae. His advice was frequently sought in juridical questions by the civil administration. He read the Scriptures, the writings of the Church Fathers, and of the medieval mystics.
Two years later, he accepted the chair of Roman Law at the University of Ingolstadt.
He was considering the offer of a professorship at the University of Bologna, tendered him by Pope Urban VIII, when he died at Ingolstadt.
Besold asked permission of the classical scholar Vitus Müller (Veit Müller, 1561–1626) to defend theses based on Kepler"s dissertation (on astronomical topics). He was denied the chance.