@mchill said
Any particular reason the other Gospel writers (or indeed any other writer from that time) didn't make mention of it?
No, there isn't. As I've explained to you folks many times, the gospel writers wrote not only the lessons Jesus taught them, but lessons that came to them from God through visions and dreams. You're not going to find a complete set of logical, and verifiable facts in many of the scriptural books. There are some things you have to take on faith.
But you have to admit that even Jesus did not take it on faith, when the devil tempted him in the desert, when Jesus was physically weak from fasting 40 days. He outwitted the devil not by faith, but by wisdom, and the knowledge of the written word.
I hope they don't ask us how the writers of the Gospels knew what the devil said to Jesus, and vice versa. That's a matter of faith.
Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.
And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, all these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
You need to outsmart all those making trial of faith. But it's not easy when the one questioning you majored in theology. And like the devil, probably knows the written word better, or at least as good as professing theists.