Was the Holy Kaaba in existence before Prophet Abraham, the Intimate Friend of Allah? If so, who built it, and from where was the Black Stone brought?

Scholars differ regarding who first built the Kaaba. Many of them hold that it was Abraham (peace be upon him), while others believe it was built before Abraham, and that Abraham (peace be upon him) merely renewed its construction and raised its foundations. This is supported by Allah's saying: "Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah - blessed and a guidance for the worlds," and Abraham's supplication: "Our Lord, I have settled some of my descendants in an uncultivated valley near Your Sacred House." A definitive statement about who first built it requires a textual proof.