arhats/lohans

I'd appreciate any suggestions for researching what are known in China as the 18 lohan/luohan which relate to 16 arhat in earlier traditions of Mahayana Buddhism. I've exhausted (I think) the resources online! (Arahats or arahants also come in the 100's and 1000's as enlightened followers of Buddha, but I'm interested in the traditions of this particular group of disciples.)

Which early Mahayana traditions are you referring to?

It would seem you are talking more proto-Mahayana rather than Mahayana proper.

its behind a paypall, but at any rate have u looked at this?

https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/66261

"The Nandimitrāvadāna: a living text from the Buddhist tradition"

omg this is a post from 2012, wow