The First Death: 5 Candidates For Who Was The First Person To Die (Myth, History, And Science)

The question of who was the first person to die is one of humanity's oldest and most profound mysteries, a query that forces us to confront our own mortality and the very origin of death. As of late 2025, the answer remains a fascinating intersection of religious scripture, archaeological evidence, and anthropological theory, with no single definitive name. This article explores the top five candidates—ranging from the mythological victim of the first murder to the nameless ancient hominid whose bones mark the dawn of human consciousness—to provide a comprehensive, up-to-date look at the identity of the first person to experience death.

The First Death: A Tale of Two Realities (Mythological vs. Scientific)

The identity of the "first person to die" fundamentally depends on whether you seek a theological or a scientific answer. In the realm of faith, the answer is a specific, named individual whose story defines the relationship between humanity and death. In the realm of science, the answer is an unnamed, ancient ancestor whose passing marks a critical evolutionary milestone.

Candidate 1: Abel (The First Murder Victim)

The most widely accepted answer in the Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—is Abel. * Source: The Book of Genesis in the Bible (and the story of Qaabeel and Haabeel in the Quran). * Context: Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve. His older brother, Cain, a farmer, grew jealous when God accepted Abel's offering of a firstborn lamb but rejected Cain's offering of his crops. * The Event: Driven by envy, Cain lured Abel into a field and murdered him, making Abel the first person to die and Cain the first murderer. * Significance: Abel's death is not just the first death; it is the first *murder*, establishing the concept of sin, violence, and the tragedy of human mortality in the religious narrative. | Biography Profile: Abel | Detail | | :--- | :--- | | Parents | Adam and Eve | | Sibling | Cain (Older Brother and Murderer) | | Occupation | Shepherd (Keeper of sheep) | | Cause of Death | Murdered by his brother, Cain | | Religious Role | The first human to die; a symbol of innocence and righteous sacrifice. | | Mentioned In | Genesis 4 (Bible), Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:27-31 (Quran) |

Candidate 2: The Nameless Hominid from Jebel Irhoud (The Oldest *Homo Sapiens*)

From a purely scientific and anthropological perspective, the question shifts from "who" to "when." Since death is a biological certainty, the first death occurred long before the emergence of modern humans. However, if we define "person" as a member of our species, *Homo sapiens*, the first death is linked to the oldest known remains of our kind. * Location of Remains: Jebel Irhoud, Morocco. * Dating: Approximately 300,000 to 315,000 years ago. * Significance: While the Jebel Irhoud remains (skulls, limb bones, teeth) represent at least five individuals, they are the earliest confirmed specimens of *Homo sapiens* found to date. Therefore, one of the individuals whose death occurred around this time holds the title of the earliest known member of our species to die. Their death was not recorded, but their bones are the physical evidence of our species' earliest mortality.

Candidate 3: Omo I (The Earliest Eastern African *Homo Sapiens*)

Another significant contender in the archaeological record is Omo I, an individual whose remains were found in the Omo Kibish Formation in Ethiopia. * Location of Remains: Omo Kibish Formation, Ethiopia. * Dating: Originally dated to about 130,000 years ago, a 2022 reassessment using advanced volcanic ash dating techniques pushed the age back to more than 233,000 years ago. * Significance: Omo I is a crucial piece of the puzzle regarding the origin of *Homo sapiens* in Eastern Africa. The individual’s death provides a firm date for the presence of anatomically modern humans in the region, offering a tangible link to one of the oldest known members of our direct lineage.

The Philosophical and Evolutionary Perspective on the First Death

The concept of the "first death" is not just about a name or a date; it's about when death became a *meaningful* event for early humans. Anthropologists and archaeologists focus on the emergence of funerary practices, which indicate that a society recognized the significance of death and the individual who died.

Candidate 4: The First Buried Individual (The Dawn of Human Consciousness)

The transition from a corpse being left to the elements to a body being intentionally buried marks a massive cognitive leap—the moment our ancestors began to mourn, remember, and contemplate an afterlife. * Evidence: Intentional burial practices are a key indicator of symbolic thought and the recognition of death as a significant cultural event. * Dating: While simple burials may date back as far as 100,000 years ago, complex burials involving grave goods and specific rituals are associated with both early *Homo sapiens* and Neanderthals. * Significance: The first person to die who was *mourned* and *buried* represents the "first person" in a philosophical sense—the first individual whose death transcended a mere biological event to become a cultural and spiritual one. The individual buried in the earliest confirmed graves is a strong symbolic candidate for the "first person to die" with true human meaning.

Candidate 5: Scorpion I (The First Historically Recorded King)

If the question is interpreted as "Who was the first person to die whose existence is recorded in history?" the answer moves out of prehistory and into the early historical period. * Identity: Scorpion I (also known as the Scorpion King). * Context: He was a ruler in Upper Egypt during the Protodynastic Period, predating the first dynasty. His tomb, U-j at Abydos, is one of the most famous and earliest examples of Egyptian royal tombs. * Significance: Scorpion I is often cited as the earliest recorded person in history, based on the archaeological evidence from his tomb, which contains some of the earliest known hieroglyphic writing. While countless people died before him, his death is the earliest one linked to a specific, named individual whose life and passing were documented by an emerging civilization.

Why the Mystery Persists: The Unknowable Truth

The enduring allure of the "first death" question lies in its unanswerable nature. Scientifically, it is impossible to pinpoint the exact moment or individual. Death has been a constant part of life since the first single-celled organism failed to replicate. * The Problem of Definition: The definition of "person" is fluid. Does it mean the first biological organism, the first hominid (like *Australopithecus* such as "Lucy"), the first member of the genus *Homo*, or the first *Homo sapiens*? * The Fossil Record's Gaps: The archaeological record is incomplete. Every time a new, older fossil is discovered—such as the 2022 re-dating of Omo I or the Jebel Irhoud finds—the date of the "first death" for our species is pushed back further. * The Theological Certainty: Only religion offers a complete, named answer (Abel) because its narrative is based on faith and divine revelation, not on empirical evidence. This certainty is what makes the biblical account so powerful and enduring. Ultimately, whether the first person to die was Abel, a nameless hunter-gatherer from Morocco 300,000 years ago, or a ceremonial leader whose burial signaled the birth of human spirituality, the question serves as a powerful reminder. It highlights the universality of death and the fundamental human need to find meaning in our finite existence. The search for the first death is, in essence, the search for the origin of human consciousness itself.