An international co-production between France, Italy and the United States, the film stars Stewart Granger, Pier Angeli, Stanley Baker, Rossana Podestà, Rik Battaglia, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart and Anouk Aimée.

The twin cities of Sodom and Gomorrah prosper because of their great deposits of salt, which are mined by an army of slaves.

The decadent citizens, who have become wealthy by trading salt, live in luxury and use slaves as servants and for violent games of entertainment.

After a night of revelry, Astaroth (Stanley Baker), the Prince of Sodom, tells slave girl Tamar (Scilla Gabel) to carry a message to the king of the Elamites, with whom he plans to overthrow his sister, Bera, Queen of Sodom (Anouk Aimée).

Meanwhile, Lot (Stewart Granger) leads his family and a Hebrew tribe through the desert, hoping that he can find a permanent home for his people along the fertile banks of the River Jordan.

As the Hebrews approach their destination, Lot meets the beautiful Ildith (Pier Angeli), who luxuriates in a litter while a group of slave girls in chains precede her over the rocky terrain.

Once Lot and his people reach the Jordan, he negotiates the use of the land on one side of the river with Queen Bera, promising her both grain and defense should Sodom's desert enemies attack.

Lot's other daughter, Maleb (Claudia Mori) and his headstrong lieutenant, Ishmael (Giacomo Rossi Stuart) also plan a marriage.

Although the Hebrew farmers and the Sodomite soldiers fight valiantly, they are nearly defeated by the fierce nomadic warriors.

Lot now believes that the Hebrews can move out of the wilderness and live among the Sodomites ("separate, but in their full view", he cautions) by selling salt.

Ishmael does not heed Lot and unsuccessfully tries to set the slaves free, believing that the Hebrews will harbour them.

At this point, Queen Bera's plot becomes clear: she used the Hebrews to destroy the Elamite threat and also used Lot to rid her of her scheming brother.

Queen Bera exclaims "But wait, the entertainment has just begun", as Lot appears seeking ten righteous Sodomites.

Although he has God's consent, Lot finds it impossible to persuade any Sodomite citizens to follow him; only the slaves are willing to accompany him.

The Sodomites flee into the streets, still committing vile and selfish acts to save themselves or exploit the chaos, and are killed by collapsing buildings and fire.

[7] In August 1960 Titanus announced it would make the film with Joseph E. Levine and it would star Stewart Granger.

In January, 2007, Digitmovies AE released a nearly complete version of the score on a two-CD set, which is taken from the Legend LP recording.

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times wrote "It is an obvious but feeble imitation of The Ten Commandments of Cecil B. de Mille, and it is much more concerned with salt-mining than it is with debauchery or lust.