There have been suggestions floating around about doing a Hebrew-themed nation. Here are my suggestions - if the developers aren't going to do it, I'll shoulder part of the work if someone else is working on it (as soon as I actually have the game.)
Is wikipedia accurate? Maybe, probably not. But if it's cool, we don't care, since we're not trying to be accurate.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...d_the_Crusades
Early Era
This is pre-Abrahmic Canaan. It should be pointed out that archeological evidence for a Hebrew displacement of pre-Hebrew Canaanites is non-existent.
You have standard primitive infantry but no cavalry.
Your charioteers are all Nephilim or Anakim, who are giants - they're sacred, a size level up from people, and have awe. Nephilim princes are priests who have nature, blood and fire. Since you're from the same part of the world (very roughly) as pythium, perhaps your chariots should be pulled by lizards instead of horses.
You can also recruit Witches - who are brides to the Nephilim. They're cheap and have random sorcery.
You get a better deal on summoning fallen angels (nation specific blood spells), and your fallen angels are sacred with a better mix of magic.
Middle Era (Early Era?)
One option is to swap the Hebrews out for Arabs or Persians in the Middle Era - but I haven't seen a final list of nations. If we do that, we make these guys early era.
Assuming we want more Jews, we'll go first (Judges, Kings) and second (Persian Empire) temple period rather than actually drawing on dark ages (Byzantine period) - since Pythium is already in game. We could use these guys for early period, if we want early period Jews who are more recognizably Jewish - but these guys are roughly contemparaneous with the Roman empire, a period we're kinda skipping, and they had oodles of steel.
Again, you have standard period infantry and cavalry. You may have serpent cataphracts (instead of horses) since you're near pythium geographically. You have three sacred units - Slingers (after David, natch), Destroyers, who are infantry (after Gideon) that are very skilled but otherwise unexceptional, and Hammers (after Judas Maccabeus,) who are very stealthy, light (lizard?) cavalry, who don't use supplies during sieges.
The judges have overthrown the nephilim - judges are big priests, with astral, fire and nature, and they reduce unrest just by existing. Judge-prophets are extra-groovy. Hammer generals are just priests, but they're stealthy light cavalry commanders.
Your capital has the "Temple Mount", of course.
Late Era
These are modeled on the states present in Canaan during the first crusade - they were vassals of various Arab neighbors but I digress. While they're at it, they get the Kabalists that were actually in Europe during this period.
You finally get Kabalists. This should be a relatively strong magic position. Kabalists all have astral, and they have random elemental. They're not terribly large, but they make automatic communions, which is about the only way to get milage out of magic in late period anyway. Kabalists are sacred but they are NOT priests.
Rabbis are just priests.
Other than that, you get kinda lousy infantry, and you get Hammers again, but this time they have better weaponry and aren't stealthy. Your crossbowmen are better than average.
Your capital has the "Dome of the Rock". It makes Hammers and up-sized kabalists.
Thoughts?