One such find has been dubbed the Buddhist equivalent of the Jewish “Dead Sea Scrolls” of Gandhara. The aforementioned manuscripts that Dr. Allon et al are working on are birch bark scrolls containing texts in Gandhari language and Kharoshthi script. Now, we have proof that Gandhara indeed gave birth to the oldest Buddhist writings and manuscripts. More importantly, these scrolls appear to be of local compositions rather than texts translated into Gandhari from works composed elsewhere. Beyond conservation and translation of the manuscripts, Dr. Allon’s initiative is also creating curatorial facilities for the conserved manuscripts at the Islamabad Museum.
