Subsequent Events (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Nov. 01, 2012
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Purchase of ordinary shares			87,456
Share Purchase Agreement [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Average market price (in dollars per share)			3.86
Common shares increases or decreases percentage, maximum (in hundredths)			15.00%
Number of trading days prior to May 1, 2013 to determine the average closing price			10 days
Value of common shares issued to be maintained after additional issuance			3.5
Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
BioTime ownership (in hundredths)	53.60%	[1]
Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. [Member] | Share Purchase Agreement [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Event, date	Nov. 01, 2012
Shares to be issued pursuant to share exchange agreement (in shares)			906,735
BioTime ownership (in hundredths)			62.60%
Maximum percentage increase in number of share issued (in hundredths)			33.00%
BioTime, Inc [Member] | Share Purchase Agreement [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Maximum percentage increase in number of share issued (in hundredths)			33.00%

[1] Cell Cure Neurosciences has agreed to issue additional ordinary shares to BioTime in exchange for BioTime common shares which will increase BioTime's ownership, directly and through ESI, to approximately 62.6%. See Note 11.