In Wars, 6.5.4, Josephus himself interprets the Oracle of [Mount] Carmel to be a prophecy concerning Vespasian.
Tacitus never mentions Josephus. He mentions the name Basilides twice; once as a priest, and again as a 'vision'.
1. In Tacitus' Histories 2, 78, the Oracle is interpreted by the priest Basilides, who states ' there is given you a vast habitation, boundless territory, a multitude of men'; which seems to align Basilides with Josephus.
Histories 2, 78
78 ... Between Judea and Syria lies Carmel: this is the name given to both the mountain and the divinity. The god has no image or temple — such is the rule handed down by the fathers; there is only an altar and the worship of the god.
When Vespasian was sacrificing there and thinking over his secret hopes in his heart, the priest Basilides, after repeated inspection of the victim's vitals, said to him: "Whatever you are planning, Vespasian, whether to build a house, or to enlarge your holdings, or to increase the number of your slaves, the god grants you a mighty home, limitless bounds, and a multitude of men." This obscure oracle rumour had caught up at the time, and now was trying to interpret; nothing indeed was more often on men's lips. It was discussed even more in Vespasian's presence — for men have more to say to those who are filled with hope. The two leaders now separated with clear purposes before them, Mucianus going to Antioch, Vespasian to Caesarea. Antioch is the capital of Syria, Caesarea of Judea.
79 1 The transfer of the imperial power to Vespasian began at Alexandria, where Tiberius Alexander acted quickly, administering to his troops the oath of allegiance on the first of July.
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/R ... s/2B*.html
2. Basilides of Alexandria appears in Tacitus' Histories 4, 82, as 'a supernatural vision'; Vespasian 'drew a prophecy from the name Basilides'.
So, there are two references to Basilides in Tacitus' Histories: with the same or a similar role that Josephus gave himself in Wars, but in difference places; one at [Mount] Carmel, the other in Alexandria.
'Basilides' isn't mentioned in Josephus.
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Suetonius mentions a similar story to Hist 4, 82 in Vespasian 7, but without prophecy; before Vespasian goes on to heal a blind man1 and a lame man2 -
1 as Jesus does in Luke 18:35-43; Mark 8:22-25 (with spittle); & in John 9 (with clay and water)Having, therefore, entered on a civil war, and sent forward his generals and forces into Italy, he [Vespasian] himself, in the meantime, passed over to Alexandria, to obtain possession of the key of Egypt.
Here having entered alone, without attendants, the temple of Serapis, to take the auspices respecting the establishment of his power, and having done his utmost to propitiate the deity, upon turning round, [his freedman] Basilides appeared before him, and seemed to offer him the sacred leaves, chaplets, and cakes, according to the usage of the place, although no one had admitted him, and he had long laboured under a muscular debility, which would hardly have allowed him to walk into the temple; besides which, it was certain that at the very time he was far away.
Immeiately after this, arrived letters with intelligence that Vitellius's troops had been defeated at Cremona, and he himself slain at Rome. Vespasian, the new emperor, having been raised unexpectedly from a low estate, wanted something which might clothe him with divine majesty and authority. This, likewise, was now added.
A poor man who was blind, and another who was lame, came both together before him, when he was seated on the tribunal, imploring him to heal them,3 and saying that they were admonished in a dream by the god Serapis to seek his aid, who assured them that he would restore sight to the one by anointing his eyes with his spittle, and give strength to the leg of the other, if he vouchsafed but to touch it with his heel. At first he could scarcely believe that the thing would any how succeed, and therefore hesitated to venture on making the experiment. At length, however, by the advice of his friends, he made the attempt publicly, in the presence of the assembled multitudes, and it was crowned with success in both cases. About the same time, at Tegea in Arcadia, by the direction of some soothsayers, several vessels of ancient workmanship were dug out of a consecrated place, on which there was an effigy resembling Vespasian.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/tex ... 1348,020:7
2 as Jesus does in Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; & John 5;
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Why did Tacitus not mention Josephus? - Perhaps Tacitus knew him as Basilides(?), or decided to portrayed him as Basilides, which means 'King's Son'; which in turn parallels Jesus, as being the Son of a King (Josephus claimed descent from royalty).
(eta2 - and I don't think Suetonius mentions Josephus: - See two posts below and reference to Suetonius' Vespasian 5.6.
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A Basilides is supposed to have been an early Gnostic religious teacher in Alexandria, Egypt.
Basilides appears as a Bishop of Serapis.
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Proposition:
Josephus appears in Tacitus and early Christianity as Basilides, or Josephus was involved with the founding of Christianity, or ...
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