When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water;
and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Matthew 3:16
He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded
from the face of the ground. Then the dove came to him in the
evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth;
and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.
Genesis 8:8,11
When Jesus sends out the Twelve disciples he said to them: Behold,
I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise
as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16
Doves were also used as sacrifices that were pure to the Lord:
And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves
or two young pigeons-one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin
offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she
will be clean. Leviticus 12:8
And to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the
law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.
Luke 2:24
