1608- A GRAVITATIONALLY-LENSED POSTSTARBURST RADIO GALAXY(656 )

The gravitational lens system 1608 + 656 displays four flat-spectrum, pointlike components that are the images of the unresolved core of a d ouble-lobed radio source. The lensing mass is a galaxy at z = 0.630. N ew spectra of this system enable us to determine a conclusive redshift of 1.394 for the lensed object. The spectra show prominent high-order Balmer absorption lines and Mg II absorption. These lines, and the ab sence of [O II] emission, indicate that this is a poststarburst or E A galaxy. It is unique among lensed objects in not being a quasar and among E + A galaxies in having the highest known redshift. Even allow ing for lens magnification, the lensed object is a very luminous galax y, with an absolute magnitude, M(r)= -22.8 mag. The deconvolved infrar ed image indicates that the galaxy may be slightly resolved. The radio luminosity density of the lobes is L(1.4) = 5.78 x 10(25) W Hz(-1), w hich puts the source on the boundary between FR I and FR II radio gala xies. Together with the redshift for the lens and a satisfactory mass model, the determination of the lensed object redshift makes this syst em an excellent candidate for measuring H-0.