In Genesis, what does the dove bring back to Noah to show that the waters have receded?

In Genesis, the dove brings Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf to show that the waters have receded. Genesis 8:11 says the dove returns in the evening with the leaf, providing evidence that vegetation has reappeared.

The sign follows an earlier failed test: Noah sends the dove out, but it returns because it cannot find a place to rest. After the olive leaf appears, Noah waits another seven days and sends the dove out again. This time it does not return, suggesting that the land is becoming habitable.

The olive branch later became an international symbol of peace, but the Genesis passage uses it first as evidence about the Flood’s changing conditions. The text specifically describes an olive leaf, not a complete branch or an unrelated plant. Artistic depictions often enlarge the small leaf into a dramatic branch.