Final answer:
In early Christian art, Jonah was honored as a prefiguration of Christ due to the themes of death and resurrection in his story that paralleled Christ's. Jonah's tale was one of many Old Testament narratives used to symbolize salvation and prophetic fulfillment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Christians revered Jonah as a prefiguration of Christ, which made him a popular subject in early Christian art. This connection was made because the story of Jonah—being swallowed by a great fish and then spending three days and three nights in the belly of the beast, only to be vomited out alive on dry ground—echoed the themes of death and resurrection akin to the story of Christ's own death and resurrection.
The use of Old Testament figures like Jonah in early Christian art was not just about depicting a narrative but also about conveying a deeper theological message. Such imagery was intended to represent the fulfillment of the prophecies and the laws from the time of Moses, and to draw parallels between these stories and the life and work of Christ, thereby serving as a visual litany of salvation. This reiteration emphasized the theme of salvation, which was a major emphasis in the Christian faith.