A semi-viny annual legume with slender tufted and branched stems 18–22 in. (46–56 cm) long. The lentil plant (Lens esculenta) was one of the first plants brought under cultivation. They have been found in the Bronze Age ruins of the ancient lake dwellings of St. Peter's Island, Lake of Bienne, Switzerland. Lentils have been discovered in Poland dating back to the Iron Age. In the Bible the “red pottage” for which Esau gave up his birthright to his brother, Jacob, was probably lentil soup. Large-seeded lentils originated in the Mediterranean region; medium-sized lentils originated in the inner mountains of Asia Minor; and Afghanistan was the original home of the smallest-seeded lentils.