In Genesis's Noah's Ark story, what did the dove bring back after Noah sent it out the second time?

In Genesis's Noah's Ark story, the dove returned with a fresh olive leaf after Noah sent it out a second time.

Genesis 8:8–11 describes Noah testing the condition of the earth with a dove. On its first flight, the dove found no place to rest and returned to the ark. Seven days later, Noah sent it out again, and it came back in the evening carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf.

The leaf showed Noah that the floodwaters had receded enough for vegetation to emerge. After another seven days, the dove did not return, indicating that it could find a place outside the ark.

The olive branch later became a widely recognized symbol of peace. That later symbolism is culturally important, but the biblical passage specifically describes an olive leaf. Retellings sometimes say “olive branch,” while Genesis uses the more precise image of a fresh leaf.