Acquisition of Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd (Details) (Cell Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 18, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Date of acquisition		Oct. 18, 2010
Number of shares acquired (in shares)	104,027
Number of shareholders			2
BioTime Ownership (in hundredths)	53.60%
Minimum percentage for purchase method accounting (in hundredths)		50.00%
Intangible assets, useful life		10 years
Components of the purchase price [Abstract]
Note receivable	$ 250,000
Interest accrued on note receivable	2,608
Cash	3,847,392
Total purchase price	4,100,000
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed [Abstract]
Cash	480,502
Prepaid and other current assets	472,636
Property and equipment	391,694
Intangible assets	5,480,634
ESI's equity investment in Cell Cure Neurosciences	(2,705,745)
Total investment	7,100,000
Noncontrolling interest	(5,894,255)
Current liabilities	(1,225,466)
Net assets acquired	4,100,000
Teva [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of shares acquired by other Cell Cure Neurosciences shareholders (in shares)	49,975
Cash paid by other Cell Cure Neurosciences shareholders	2,000,000
Ownership interest held by other Cell Cure Neurosciences shareholders (in hundredths)	19.90%
Hadasit Bio-Holdings, Ltd [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of shares acquired by other Cell Cure Neurosciences shareholders (in shares)	25,625
Cash paid by other Cell Cure Neurosciences shareholders	897,962
Converted loan amount previously made to entity	$ 100,000
Ownership interest held by other Cell Cure Neurosciences shareholders (in hundredths)	26.30%