What did Noah’s dove return with after leaving the Ark the second time?

After leaving the Ark the second time, Noah’s dove returned with an olive leaf.

Genesis says Noah first sent out a raven, then sent a dove to see whether the Flood waters had subsided. The dove found nowhere to rest and returned. Noah sent it out again seven days later, and it came back toward evening carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf. This sign showed Noah that the waters were receding from the earth.

Noah waited another seven days before sending the dove out once more. On that occasion it did not return, suggesting that dry land was becoming available. The sequence of the bird’s flights is therefore more detailed than the familiar single image of a dove carrying an olive branch.

The olive leaf later became a widely recognized symbol of peace and renewal. In the biblical passage, however, its immediate role is practical: it provides evidence that vegetation had reappeared above the floodwaters.