NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROPHOTOMETRY OF THE RADIO GALAXY-4C-40.36 AT Z=2.269

We present new near-infrared spectrophotometric observations of the hi gh-z radio galaxy 4C 40.36 (z = 2.269) including J- and H-band images and a low-resolution (lambda/Delta lambda similar to 100) spectrum bet ween 1.14 and 1.70 mu m. We have detected distinctively strong [O III] lambda 4959/5007 doublet and other relatively weak emission lines sup erposed on the faint flat continuum. The measured emission-line ratios are roughly consistent with the typical narrow-line AGN with the sola r metal abundance, except for the large [Ne III] lambda 3869/[O II] la mbda 3727 ratio that is probably caused by the overabundance of neon i n this object. The J-band image attributable to stellar emission is al igned with the radio axis, while the H-band image mostly due to [O III ] line emission (about 73%) is more symmetric, indicating a concentric distribution of strong oxygen line-emitting clouds. Based on these mo rphological features together with the extremely flat continuum over t he UV-to-optical spectral region in the rest frame, we have examined t wo models, which are an extremely young galaxy model (age = 0.02-0.1 G yr) as well as a scattered AGN model.