First of all, I want to thank everyone for the feedback. You're giving me a lot to think about.
Ken Olson wrote:
Josephus and Tacitus almost certainly had common sources for the Jewish War. Besides their passages about the portents of the temple's destruction, Josephus (BJ 4.8.4/4.476-85) and Tacitus (Histories 5.6) also seem to be using a common source for their accounts of Lake Asphaltites (i.e., the Dead Sea). Josephus acknowledges that he and others used the commentaries of Vespasian and Titus (BJ 1.1.4/1.10; Life 342, 258; Against Apion 1.56). Tacitus may have known these directly or through Pliny the Elder's histories (the Natural History and the Continuation of the History of Aufidius Bassus).
I've only been able to find references to Vespasian's memoirs in Life 342 and Apion 1.56.
Life 342:
Nor is it I only who say this; but so it is written in the Commentaries of Vespasian, the emperor; as also how the inhabitants of Decapolis came clamoring to Vespasian at Ptolemais, and desired that thou, who wast the author [of that war], mightst be brought to punishment...
Apion 1.56:
How impudent then must those deserve to be esteemed, who undertake to contradict me about the true state of those affairs! who, although they pretend to have made use of both the emperors’ own memoirs, yet they could not be acquainted with our affairs who fought against them.
But in any event I appreciate what Ken is saying. According to Robinson (Evaluating the Healing Miracles of Vespasian and Jesus 2014), "Most of the information for the life of Vespasian comes from the classical texts of Tacitus, Suetonius, Dio Cassius, and Flavius Josephus. Of these four primary sources all but Josephus attribute healing miracles to Vespasian."
http://proecclesia.net/wp-content/uploa ... binson.pdf
So if Josephus and Tacitus were using common sources, the former must have chosen to omit those particular references in them.
As Robinson notes, "As he solidified his claim to rule, and outlasted his competitors, Vespasian's healing miracles became a key part of his campaign."
Is it not strange then that Josephus doesn't mention these healing miracles since he had access to Vespasian's memoirs?
Perhaps a clue to Tacitus' source for the oracle is in Hist. 5.13:
This mysterious prophecy had in reality pointed to Vespasian and Titus, but the common people, as is the way of human ambition, interpreted these great destinies in their own favour, and could not be turned to the truth even by adversity. We have heard that the total number of the besieged of every age and both sexes was six hundred thousand; there were arms for all who could use them, and the number ready to fight was larger than could have been anticipated from the total population.
War 5.13.7:
After this man there ran away to Titus many of the eminent citizens, and told him the entire number of the poor that were dead, and that no fewer than six hundred thousand were thrown out at the gates, though still the number of the rest could not be discovered.
Maybe Tacitus
heard the works of Josephus (and/or Vespasian's memoirs or other pagan writings)? In any event, there appears to be considerable correlation between Tacitus and Josephus, excepting the healing miracles. If Josephus was using the same sources as Tacitus, then why would he omit the healing miracles?
You know in spite of all you gained, you still have to stand out in the pouring rain.