What did the dove bring back to Noah from the Ark’s first successful flight?

In the Genesis account, the dove brought Noah an olive leaf from its first successful flight away from the Ark.

After the floodwaters began to recede, Noah sent out a raven and later released a dove to test whether the waters had fallen. The dove returned because it could find no resting place. Noah waited seven days and sent it out again; this time it returned in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf.

The leaf showed Noah that vegetation had reappeared or become reachable, providing evidence that the land was becoming habitable. A third release produced no return, signaling that the dove had found a place to stay.

The olive branch later became a widely recognized symbol of peace, although its original biblical role is more specific: it is a sign that the floodwaters were receding and the earth was becoming suitable for life again.