What did the dove bring back to Noah as evidence that floodwaters were receding?

The dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf as evidence that the floodwaters were receding.

Genesis 8 describes Noah sending birds from the ark after the waters began to decline. He first sends a raven, then sends a dove to see whether dry land has appeared. The dove returns because it finds nowhere to rest. After seven days, Noah sends it again, and it comes back in the evening carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf.

A further seven days later, Noah sends the dove once more, and it does not return. This signals that the earth is becoming habitable again, although Noah waits for God’s instruction before leaving the ark.

The olive branch or leaf later became a widely recognized symbol of peace and reconciliation. The biblical passage specifically says “olive leaf,” not a generic branch. The episode is also distinct from the question of which bird Noah released first: Genesis identifies the raven before the dove.