In Genesis, the dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive leaf as evidence that the waters had receded.
Genesis 8:11 says the dove returned in the evening with an olive leaf in its beak. Noah understood this as evidence that the floodwaters had fallen enough for vegetation to emerge or remain above water. The next release of the dove produced no return, suggesting that the bird had found a place to live.
The olive leaf later became a widely recognized symbol of peace, reconciliation, and hope. That later symbolism is related to the story but is not the only meaning in the biblical passage: within Genesis, the leaf is first a concrete sign that the earth was becoming habitable again. Artistic depictions commonly show a dove with an olive branch, although Genesis specifically says “leaf.”