Noah sent out a dove three times to test whether the floodwaters had receded.
Genesis 8 says Noah first sent a raven from the ark. He then sent a dove, which found nowhere to rest and returned. After seven days, he sent the dove again; it came back with a freshly plucked olive leaf. After another seven days, Noah sent it a third time, and it did not return.
The dove’s three departures are distinct from the raven’s earlier release. Many simplified retellings mention only the dove and omit the raven, which can make the sequence seem shorter than it is. The olive leaf is also not the rainbow: it is an earlier indication that vegetation and habitable land were reappearing.
The passage uses animal behavior as a practical test of conditions outside the ark. Noah did not immediately leave after the first sign; he waited for the final release of the dove and then received God’s instruction to come out.