Cemetery historically means "Sleeping Room". The early Christians believing in the Resurrection and that their Christian dead were only sleeping, called the places of interment or entombment, the Cemetery, or Sleeping Room.

The first real estate transfer and delivery of a deed in all history is recorded in Genesis where it is written that Abraham purchased Macpelah, "and the field and the cave that is therein were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying place".
This is also the first instance of purchase of a Cemetery lot for future need. The wise in this age could well follow the example of this far-seeing Patriarch.