The dove appears both as Noah's messenger after the flood (Genesis 8) and as a standard sacrificial bird throughout Levitical law, where 'young pigeons' (בְּנֵי יוֹנָה) are prescribed for purification offerings. Beyond cultic usage, doves serve as similes: Ephraim is 'like a silly dove' easily snared (Hosea 7:11), returning exiles come like doves to their windows (Isaiah 60:8), and the beloved in Song of Songs is addressed as 'my dove.' The bird's associations include innocence, simplicity, vulnerability, and swift return—themes that resonate through both prophetic and wisdom literature.