Who was the first deaf person?

Identifying the "first deaf person" is challenging, as deafness has existed throughout human history and is not specific to any one individual. However, historical records indicate that some of the earliest known deaf individuals lived in ancient civilizations, like the Greeks and Romans, where deafness was often misunderstood. The first documented case of a deaf person, who also became an advocate for the deaf community, was Pedro Ponce de León in the 16th century, who developed methods for teaching the deaf.