The Scofield Reference Bible & Christian Zionism | All the “Bible’s” have been altered. The original Hebrew scrolls were translated incorrectly on purpose

Cyrus I. Scofield: The Man Who Rewired Evangelical Belief

Cyrus Ingerson Scofield (1843–1921) is remembered for his Scofield Reference Bible (1909), which embedded John Nelson Darby’s dispensationalist theology and with it, political Zionism, into the daily reading of millions of American Christians. But behind the pious image was a very different man:

• Dubious credentials — Scofield never attended seminary, never earned a theological degree, and there’s no record of an honorary doctorate. The “D.D.” on his Bible was self-bestowed.

• Shady legal past — After serving in the Confederate Army, he was implicated in forgery, fraud, and embezzlement schemes in Kansas, including misuse of funds as a lawyer. He reportedly fled to Canada to avoid prosecution.

• Abandonment of family — Scofield deserted his first wife and children, leaving them in poverty. Court records show his wife divorced him on grounds of desertion in 1883.

• Powerful Zionist backers — In the late 19th century, Scofield became connected with Samuel Untermeyer, a wealthy Zionist lawyer and influential figure in U.S. politics and banking. Untermeyer and other elite patrons helped fund and promote the Scofield Bible’s publication.

• Mass influence — By framing the return of the Jews to Palestine as a fulfillment of prophecy and a prerequisite for Christ’s return, Scofield’s study notes rewired U.S. evangelical theology, creating an unbreakable political-religious bond with the state of Israel decades before it existed.

The result? Millions of American Christians came to believe that supporting Israel was not only politically wise, but divinely mandated; a theological conditioning that still shapes U.S. foreign policy today.