According to Genesis, what did the dove bring Noah when it returned to the Ark?

According to Genesis, the dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf when it returned to the Ark.

Genesis 8 describes Noah sending a dove after the raven. The dove first returned because it found no place to rest. Noah waited seven days and sent it again; this time it came back in the evening carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf. Noah understood that the waters had receded from the earth.

The olive leaf became one of the most recognizable images associated with the Flood story. It is commonly interpreted as a sign that vegetation and habitable land were reappearing, although the passage itself focuses on what Noah learned from the bird’s return.

The dove was sent again after another seven-day wait. On that final trip it did not return, indicating that the surface had become sufficiently dry. A dove with an olive branch is often used today as a symbol of peace, even outside biblical contexts.