A dove returned to Noah carrying an olive leaf after the flood. Genesis 8:11 says the dove came back in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf, showing Noah that the waters had receded.
Noah had sent the dove to determine whether dry land had reappeared. Its first release produced no resting place, but the second flight brought back the leaf. After another interval, Noah sent the dove out once more, and it did not return. The sequence marks the gradual transition from a flooded world to habitable ground.
The olive branch later became a widespread symbol of peace, although Genesis specifically presents the leaf as evidence about the floodwaters. The dove should also be distinguished from the raven, which Noah released first. In modern retellings, the dove and olive leaf are frequently used together as shorthand for hope, reconciliation, and the end of catastrophe.