In Genesis, what symbol marked God’s covenant after the Flood?

In Genesis, a rainbow marked God’s covenant after the Flood.

Genesis 9 presents the rainbow as the sign of a covenant between God, Noah, his descendants, and every living creature. The covenant follows the retreat of the floodwaters and includes a promise that a flood would not again destroy all life on Earth. The text says that whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, it will recall this promise.

The rainbow is often confused with other symbols from the Ark story. Noah sends a dove to look for dry land, and the dove’s return with a freshly plucked olive leaf signals that the waters have receded. That episode comes earlier, in Genesis 8. The rainbow therefore belongs to the post-Flood covenant scene in Genesis 9, while the dove and olive leaf belong to the search for land.