According to Genesis, the dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf from the receding Flood waters.
Genesis 8 describes Noah sending birds from the Ark to learn whether the waters had subsided. A raven is sent first, and later Noah sends a dove. The dove initially finds no place to rest, but on its second return it carries an olive leaf in its beak. Noah understands this as evidence that the waters have receded from the earth’s surface.
On a later attempt, the dove does not return, showing that the land has become sufficiently habitable for the Ark’s occupants. The olive leaf therefore acts as a concrete report about changing conditions rather than merely as a decorative symbol.
In later cultures, the dove and olive branch became widely recognized symbols of peace. That familiar symbol derives partly from the Genesis episode, although the text itself focuses on the progress of the Flood’s retreat.