[Another variant.] The mother of king Solomon was angry with him for saying “One man out of a thousand have I found, but a woman have I not found." (Eccles. VII, 28). After Ashmedai had thrown the ring into the sea, Solomon became changed.
He had a thousand maid servants and a thousand men. He went to each of them and found them faithless save one servant. He wandered to another country, and came to the house of Bar Kapara and asked to be allowed to stay there for three days. He had brought jewellery and women's gold ornaments.
The wife of Bar Kapara was in love with a priest. When Solomon tempted her, she refused. He asked her for a flask of best wine and she brought it and he drank a little, made her a gift and sealed the flask with the Ineffable Name. In the evening the priest came and she told him what had happened.
He upbraided her for not listening to Solomon and for not taking his property. She then brought the flask of wine and tried to open it but her hand remained stuck to it. The priest then took the flask but his hand stuck as well. They could find no remedy.
After three months, Bar Kapara was advised to take them to Jerusalem, King Solomon having regained his throne. The king placed them in the open courtyard, assembled all the people and called his mother to be present. Then he said, “Whichever woman has not sinned, let her place her hand upon the flask and the hands will be loosened." Not one came forward.
He then asked his mother and she shrank back, remembering her sin with David. He then asked the men and only the faithful servant came forward and put his hand upon the flask. They were then released. King Solomon thus proved the truth of his statement.