In the biblical account of Noah's Ark, what was the rainbow designated as?

In the biblical account of Noah's Ark, the rainbow was designated as the sign of God's covenant with Noah and every living creature. Genesis 9:12–17 presents the rainbow after the flood as a reminder of the promise.

The covenant states that a flood would not again destroy all life on earth. It is made not only with Noah and his descendants but also with every living creature associated with the Ark. The rainbow therefore functions within the story as a divine sign connected to preservation and future restraint.

Genesis describes God placing the bow in the clouds and looking upon it as a reminder of the covenant. This narrative explanation differs from the physical explanation of rainbows as optical phenomena caused by sunlight interacting with water droplets.

Later religious and cultural traditions use the rainbow in many ways, including as a symbol of hope or peace. In the Ark narrative itself, however, its specific designation is the sign of the covenant.