In the salt-rich twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, wealth blossoms from vast salt deposits mined by an army of slaves. The ruling class thrives on luxury, using slaves as servants and for brutal entertainments that feed their moral decay. The story follows a tapestry of power, desire, and downfall set against a world where decadence masks a fragile, rotting honesty.
After a night of revelry, Astaroth, Stanley Baker, the Prince of Sodom, sends slave girl Tamar to carry a message to the king of the Elamites, with the aim of seizing control by overthrowing his sister, Bera, Queen of Sodom, Anouk Aimée. Tamar, who has just returned from a desert meeting with the Elamite leader, is captured by a Sodomite patrol. Under interrogation, Tamar refuses to speak, and Bera orders Tamar and her two young sisters killed for their silence.
Meanwhile, in the desert, Lot, Stewart Granger leads his family and a Hebrew tribe in search of a new home by the Jordan River. The Hebrews are portrayed as devout and morally austere, a stark contrast to the Salt-Haven of Sodom. On the journey, Lot encounters Ildith, Pier Angeli, a slave who leads the Queen of Sodom’s body slaves. They form an unlikely bond; Lot denounces the institution of slavery, and Ildith, who dislikes the conditions of her life, begins to fall for him. The two also face social friction—Lot’s daughters, especially, become entangled in a web of relationships and duties. Shuah, Rossana Podestà, Lot’s daughter, becomes entangled with Astaroth, who begins a secret dalliance with her, while Maleb, Claudia Mori and Ishmael, Giacomo Rossi Stuart plot marriages that complicate the clan’s dynamics.
The wedding day of Lot and Ildith is interrupted by a ferocious Elamite attack. Hebrew farmers and Sodomite soldiers fight valiantly, but defeat seems imminent until Lot makes a bold move: he orders the dam broken, releasing floodwaters that save both camps and reveal a vast salt deposit at the flood’s wake. This discovery plants the seed of a future compromise: the Hebrews could relocate among the Sodomites by selling salt, blending the two peoples’ livelihoods rather than fighting over land.
Time passes, and Lot and Ildith enjoy a life of luxury in Sodom. Yet the city’s delicate balance frays as Ishmael believes Lot has surrendered to decadence and urges the liberation of the mined slaves. Lot opposes him, warning that the Sodomites may never reform. When Ishmael’s attempt to free the slaves fails and the Hebrews reject the escapees, Lot must sentence Ishmael to justice. The conflict escalates when Astaroth reveals a hidden truth: he has slept with both of Lot’s daughters, and Ildith had kept silent about the indiscretions. Enraged, Lot kills Astaroth.
Queen Bera’s scheme comes clearly into view: she has used the Hebrews to dismantle the Elamite threat and also manipulated Lot to rid herself of a dangerous brother. Lot is imprisoned as he wrestles with guilt and calls on God for guidance. Two angels appear, informing him that God disapproves of the twin cities and intends to destroy them. They offer Lot a chance to escape if ten righteous Sodomites can be found to leave with him; those who stay will be struck down if they look back.
As the exodus begins, many recaptured slaves are tortured to death on the wheel, and Queen Bera exclaims, > But wait, the entertainment has just begun, as Lot arrives seeking ten righteous Sodomites. With God’s permission, Lot’s escape party includes the slaves who are willing to depart; even his own daughters initially hesitate, disapproving of their father’s reputation. Ildith convinces them to leave, hoping they will someday understand Lot’s greatness. Shuah reluctantly follows, though she wishes to see Lot suffer for his role in the conflicts that have plagued their family.
The moment of judgment arrives: as the Hebrews and the freed slaves depart, Sodom is rattled by earthquakes and engulfed by flames. Queen Bera retreats with her slave Orphea, Mitsuko Takara to her palace, but they are crushed by collapsing pillars. The Sodomites scatter in panic, still driven by selfish impulses that hasten their downfall.
Ildith, torn between love for Lot and her belief in his God, looks back toward Sodom and asks if her longing can survive the divine plan. She chooses to stay with Lot for a time, but ultimately God turns her into a pillar of salt as the city is destroyed by fire and smoke. Lot collapses in grief, and his daughters’ fears about the future give way to a sorrowful resolve. Maleb and Shuah comfort him as he leads the remaining Hebrews into the desert once more, where they will wander in search of a new, uncertain home.
