What was Ramadan and fasting in Islam before the time of Muhammad ﷺ?

I want to know the status and significance of Ramadan and _sawm_ before the time of Muhammad ﷺ. For example, in one _hadeeth_ (reported by Wathilah ibn al-Asq’a): >The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has told us about the history of its revelation, as it was narrated from Wathilah ibn al-Asq’a that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: The Scriptures of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) were revealed on the first night of Ramadan, the Torah was revealed on the sixth of Ramadan, the Gospel was revealed on the 13th of Ramadan, and the Quran was revealed on the 24th of Ramadan[Ahmad 16370]. Similarly, is there any significance of Ramadan and fasting during the time of prior Prophets? At the time of _jahiliyyah_, did people still fast? I would appreciate secondary sources as references.