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Manuscript in Kharosthi Script
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Manuscript in Kharosthi Script
AFGHANISTAN; circa 1st century; Birch bark; British Museum, London, United Kingdom
These birch bark Buddhist scrolls from Gandhara are reported to have been found in the Hadda region. Consisting of 57 scrolls, they date from the 1st century and are believed to be the oldest surviving Buddhist texts, making them of great historical significance.
The scrolls were handwritten in the Gandhari Prakrit language using Kharosthi script. The collection consists of a wide range of texts including the Khaggavisana Sutta, Abhidharma, and other avadanas, or edifying legends. According to an inscription, the scrolls were dedicated to the teachers of the Dharmaguptaka school, which suggests that they may have belonged to the library of a monastery of this school. |
