Matthew 27:52

τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων. κοιμᾶσθαι twice in this gospel, here figuratively of death; ch. Matthew 28:13, of literal sleep. The figure is quite classical, as ὡς ὁ μὲν αὖθι πεσὼν κοιμήσατο χάλκεον ὕπνον, Il. λ. 241. Cp. the beautiful lines of Moschus, Id. III. 109–111:

ἄμμες δʼ οἱ μεγάλοι καὶ καρτεροί ἢ σοφοὶ ἄνδρες

ὅπποτε πρᾶτα θάνωμες�.

and Verg. Æn. VII. 277, ‘et consanguineus leti sopor.’ With Christianity it became the usual word to express the sleep of death, see 1 Corinthians 15:6; 1 Corinthians 15:18; hence κοιμητήριον (cemetery), the resting-place of the dead.