Catacombs of Domitilla Dove Recreation (about 5 1/2 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wide. Early Christian symbol. The ancient explanation of the dove as a Christian symbol refers to it as a symbol of Christ: Ireneaus in the 2nd-century explains that the number 801 is both the sum of the numeric values of the letters of the word "dove" (in Greek: Ρεριστερα) and the sum of the numeric values of the letters Alpha and Omega, which refers to Christ. In the Bible story of Noah and the Flood, after the food a dove returns to Noah bringing an olive branch, and this scene recalled to the Church Fathers Christ who brings salvation through the cross. This biblical scene led to interpreter the dove also as a symbol of peace (Wikipedia).