The site of the original sin city of Sodom – destroyed by fire and brimstone according to the Bible – may have been discovered in Jordan.

Archaeologists excavating the site of Tall el Hammam say it was a major Bronze Age city-state and that it meets “every Sodom criterion.”

Steven Collins and his team have been exploring this “monstrous” site since 2005 and have discovered palace structures, towers and massive defensive structures.

According to the book of Genesis, Sodom and the neighboring city of Gomorrah were destroyed by God because their inhabitants were consumed by sin and corruption.

The Last Judgment was pronounced after angels disguised as humans failed to find even ten righteous people in the cities.

Mr Collins told Popular Archaeology: “I came to the conclusion that if you wanted to find Sodom, you should look for the largest city on the eastern Kikkar, which existed during the Middle Bronze Age, the time of Abraham and Lot.”

“When we explored the area, choosing Tall el Hammam as the site of Sodom was practically a no-brainer, as it was at least five to ten times larger than any other Bronze Age site in the entire region.”

The site in the southern Jordan Valley, 13 kilometers northeast of the Dead Sea, is characterized by a large hill dominating the landscape and appears to have consisted of a lower city and an upper city where the rich and elite lived.

Researchers have found evidence of 10 m high and 5 m thick defensive walls with a network of gates, towers and squares.

Overall, it is believed that the lower defences protruded about 30 m from the surrounding terrain.

They also say that city walls built in the Middle Bronze Age protected the privileged inhabitants of the upper town from attacks.

“It was a huge undertaking, requiring millions of bricks and, of course, a huge number of workers,” Collins told Popular Archaeology.

“It was an impressive and formidable defensive system that protected the residences of the city’s wealthier citizens, including the royal palace and its associated temples and administrative buildings.”

The remains of a “Red Palace” in the upper town and a large complex further down were discovered.

However, life in the city seems to have suddenly come to a standstill towards the end of the Middle Bronze Age, and it was virtually deserted for 700 years, archaeologists say.

It is hoped that the ongoing excavations will be Research team will help shed light on the mystery.